NSU Horizons Spring 2017

11 NSU HORIZONS During the trip, each student began a blog to further dis- cuss their thoughts about the trip and to post photos. “The [Cuban people] are amazing, they welcome us into their homes and are very happy to answer all our questions. Most have just as many questions for us as we do for them. Locals in Santiago are very welcoming and a few want to show us around their city,” M.B.A. student Juan Carlos Duran wrote in his blog. In Havana, Bryan Yonaides Valerio joined other entrepre- neurship and management students to speak with the owner of a restaurant and a lawyer. “We had a great meal along with great conversations with these individuals,” said Valerio. “I discovered a country filled with people who were kind and welcoming to strangers,” wrote Michael Louis Soto, also an entrepreneurship and management student. And while academic goals were the priority, a few students visited the neighborhoods where their families had lived. Management major Maria Del Carmen Montenegro was able to connect with several relatives. In Cienfuegos, family members on her mother’s side met the NSU students at the port and accompanied them throughout their visit to the city. “Even though I had never met any of them before, I felt an immediate affinity,” said Del Carmen Montenegro. On the final day in Havana, several students accompanied Del Carmen Montenegro to visit the two apartment buildings where her paternal and maternal grandparents had lived and the location of her great-uncle’s store. “I met several residents who either personally knew or had heard of my [family], and shared many stories about the years they resided in the building,” she added. The Huizenga Business College plans to make its visit to Cuba an annual course to continue the research and expand NSU students’ academic study. “Chances are, NSU graduates will travel outside the U.S. during their work life, and they need an international experience. We want to make this trip a part of our curriculum,” said Tworoger. “An annual trip will allow NSU to track the progress of the Cuban economy and to learn how the perceptions of the entrepreneurs evolve over time,” Forgey added. Both professors agreed the Cuban trip is unique. “This trip to Cuba is a way for NSU to differentiate itself from other universities. Not all universities would be able to plan such a trip. This also was a way to show how the pro- grams at the Huizenga College are in alignment with our real- world M.B.A. motto,” said Tworoger. “We gave our students an experience they will never forget with this trip to Cuba.” n For 2017 M.B.A. candidate Lauren A. Johnson’s blog, visit http://bit.ly/2pHc3XM. George L. Hanbury II, Ph.D., NSU president and CEO, far left, poses with business students and professors before they set sail for Cuba.