HBA Annual Company Field Trip Brings Students to Seattle

BHP students enjoyed their tour of Boeing.

BHP students enjoyed their tour of Boeing.

Written by Nadia Senter

What a whirlwind of a weekend! As part of our yearly Company Field Trip, 22 members of the Honors Business Association took a four day trip to Seattle to tour Microsoft, Amazon, and Boeing and meet up with local alumni.

Our first stop on the trip was Microsoft. We met up with BHP alum, Dina Consolino, and were able to have lunch in Microsoft’s spacious (and delicious!) cafeteria. We were also able to explore the visitor center which was full of new technology unreleased to the public such as a virtual mirror that allows you to see yourself in hundreds of outfits with the swipe of your hand. Finally, we had a Q&A session in the swanky Xbox building with fellow BHP and McCombs alumni.

The following day, we woke up bright and early to tour Amazon’s headquarters, located in a conglomeration of buildings right next to downtown Seattle. During the tour, we were pleasantly surprised by the prevalence of employees’ pets and casual attire. Despite the misty weather, they brought us onto the roof, which had a stunning view of downtown Seattle and all of the Puget Sound. We also had the pleasure of meeting eight UT alums that work across all functions of the company.

Hustling our way back to the hotel, we had a quick turnaround when a bus destined for Boeing’s headquarters picked us up an hour later. Beginning with a tour of Boeing’s humbling factory, we spent an hour and a half learning about their impressive assembly line spread throughout the world’s largest building by volume. Due to security reasons, we weren’t allowed to take any photos, but rather spent our time gaping at the intricacies of plane manufacturing. Soon after, we met up with some McCombs alumni who worked there to learn about their recruitment process and play Boeing trivia.

That evening, we were offered an unforgettable experience through our alumni dinner on the 76th floor of the Columbia Tower, the tallest building in Seattle. The sky was perfectly clear and we were able to witness 360 degree views of downtown Seattle through floor-to-ceiling windows. We spent the evening eating hors d’oeuvres with a diverse group of alumni.

On Saturday, everyone spent their free time exploring all the unique tourist activities Seattle has to offer. From perusing through Pike’s Place Market, strolling though Chihuly Gardens & Glass, and sampling local cuisine, everyone had a fantastic time meandering through the city. In the evening, we all went together to the Space Needle, which was the perfect capstone to an unforgettable weekend.

Now, we are back to the hustle and bustle of school, and even though we have loads of classwork to make up and a whole lot of studying to do, I think I speak for everyone when I say the experience was well worth the trip.

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