BHP Buenos Aires Short-Term International Program – Enroll Today!

The Short-Term Study Abroad BHP Management Program in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is not only the first-ever South American Program, but is also exclusively designed and reserved for BHP students. During the five-week summer program, students take two courses and earn six BHP credits while studying at one of the top business schools in Argentina, the Universidad de San Andres. Students take two courses – Organizational Behavior (MAN336H) and Non-Market Strategies in Emerging Markets (IB372). An English-speaking professor at the host university teaches the second course.

Professor Ethan Burris

“My class was a little different taught in Buenos Aires for a few reasons,” said Management Professor Ethan Burris, who taught the MAN336H class “Because the course is condensed to five weeks, I teach for four-hour blocks of time, which allows for deeper discussion. I didn’t feel like I had to cut a conversation short. Also students are also able to take what they learn and apply it to the non-free market of Buenos Aires first hand. Buenos Aires is a big city. It’s like a less glamorous New York City or Chicago.”

Classes are held in the morning, freeing afternoons and evenings for weekly, organized excursions to experience the vibrant culture of Buenos Aires. There is one three-day weekend incorporated into the schedule, which many students used for additional travel. A particularly popular destination for the weekend was Iguazu Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Throughout the session, the group will tour at least two large companies. Summer 2013 tours included: Danone (food production); Tenaris (oil and gas); and Cartocor (packaging).

Iguazu Falls, one of the seven wonders of the world

The 2013 group. Submitted by Dana Hwu

As a current BHP student, there are no prerequisites to participate in the program. There are 25 spots available each summer. Students do not need to speak or understand Spanish to join the program. Both courses are taught in English and the group is accompanied by a cultural liaison. The liaison is generally a graduate student that has traveled to the area before, knows it well, and speaks the language. Registration is first-come, first-served and opens today. Attend the Short-Term International Programs Information Session Wednesday, October 2, at 3 p.m., in CBA 3.304. Read more about the experience from the students who went on the trip below.

Dana Hwu

“I had an absolutely amazing time in Argentina! I am so incredibly happy and thankful I went because I don’t think I would have ever gone to South America without this opportunity pulling me there. The culture was so different, and it was unlike any other experience.” – Dana Hwu

Photo of Buenos Aires submitted by Rachel Solomon

“I can’t even begin to pick one favorite aspect! Everything from the coffee, to the architecture to the weather to the classes to the people I spent my time with to the excursions and beyond made me fall in love with the trip. I never wanted to leave.” – Rachel Solomon

“One weekend, we tagged along with a travel agency to a northwestern city called Mendoza, which is at the foothills of the Andes Mountains. We took a horseback tour along the mountains guided by a gaucho (Argentine cowboy) and had asado afterwards, which is basically a huge meal of fresh vegetables and barbequed meat. The food was delicious and the view was absolutely breathtaking.” – Amy Yu

George Chidiac

“McCombs prides itself on diversity. Studying with local students was a concrete example of McCombs walking the talk. Not only were I and 24 other BHP students able to study with Argentinians, but we also had French foreign exchange students with us in our International Business course. A melting pot of students from three different countries, we were all able to contribute in ways I never imagined. Weird as it may seem, articles we read came to life when Argentinian and French students were able to validate claims and expand on others, such as when we discussed the black market.” – George Chidiac

Student Profile: Ryan Lieberman – Co-Founder of Camp SPARK

Ryan Lieberman, a freshman in the program, started Camp SPARK, with his brother Blake, in the Summer of 2010. As a freshman in high school, Ryan knew he wanted to gain experience in operating a business. He decided to merge his passions for community service and athletics to create Camp SPARK. The camp has come a long way from the first session held in Ryan’s backyard. It is now available nationwide. Learn more about Camp SPARK and Ryan’s plans for the future as a BHP student.

What is Camp SPARK?

SPARK stands for Strong Powerful Athletic Rocking Kids. The camp is as much about sportsmanship as it is sports and it helps kids learn social skills in a way that they can easily connect with and understand, through sports and activities. At Camp SPARK, campers play games altered to the camp such as “Extreme Duck, Duck Goose.” Children ages 5–13 can participate in Camp SPARK. It’s a camp run by kids, for kids, because the set-up is unique in that it’s a business opportunity for high school students to start camps for younger kids.

How were you inspired to start the camp?

I’m very much an entrepreneurial-type of person. I love the idea of being my own boss and working for myself. So, the summer after my freshman year of high school I started thinking of ways that I could start my own business to gain experience being my own boss and familiarize myself with the processes involved in building a business.

I’ve always been passionate about community service and have been very active in Big Brothers Big Sisters. The bond I built with my “little” is a big part of what inspired me to reach out to children. I love the idea of directly influencing someone’s life and seeing change happen – knowing you were part of it. As for the idea of a camp, I went to summer camp all my life and just loved it. I knew opening a camp would be fun, something I could do well, and it would lead to a good experience.

The support of my parents was also influential. My dad is my biggest role model and he really encouraged me to do what I love and run the show.

How did you get the camp up and running?

The first summer, my parents were very supportive of what I was trying to accomplish and agreed to sponsor the start-up of Camp SPARK. The camp was run out of my backyard the first year. To get campers, my brother and I called and emailed over a hundred parents from our school directory and got 12 campers to enroll for the week. I didn’t make a lot of money the first summer, however I learned a lot of lessons.

The next summer I was a lot more organized and a much better marketer. I set up a Facebook page and sent out a video link to my email list. I also received a lot of good word of mouth promotion.  Participation almost tripled to 35 kids a day. I ran the camp twice as long and profited nearly $13,000. The next year, we created a website and increased marketing. A larger facility became a necessity. I negotiated a deal with my school and relocated the camp. It worked out really well. That’s about the time I realized that I had a reproducible business and that if I could do this, other people could too. I began looking for city partners to initiate Camp SPARK in their area. Not just in Texas, but nationwide. We opened a girls’ camp that summer and our first camp outside of Dallas with my cousin Zach in Austin and they both went really well.

The following year we put an ad on Facebook and everything really took off from there. Over the last four summers we have grown from a backyard camp into a nine-location business in five cities across the country (Dallas, Austin, San Francisco, Boston and Denver). Hundreds of kids are now Camp SPARK campers.  We have four boys’ camps, five girls’ camps, six city partners and employ over 60 people.  We have an accountant, a lawyer and an insurance agent. We have learned how to create really good systems and how to protect our business and ourselves.

Each camp is tailored to the location. For example, in San Francisco, the surrounding neighborhood has a lot of under-privileged kids, so that camp is corporate sponsored and doesn’t charge campers and places a special emphasis on reinforcing the importance of education. It’s important to know the community and the needs of that community so a difference can be made.

What does the future hold for Camp SPARK?

I hope Camp SPARK continues to be as successful as it has been. Now that I’ve started college, I still want to grow Camp SPARK and keep it as a source of income, but I’m looking for someone to take over my role of overseeing all of the operations. Starting and running the camp has been an amazing experience and now I’m ready to see what my next endeavor will be.

What does the future hold for you?

Running a sports camp has been a lot of fun and a great experience.  I plan to start more businesses and hopefully continue with sports-related work, but not necessarily in the camp setting. I know I ultimately want to be my own boss, so any experience I can continue to gain in operating businesses would definitely be of interest to me. My plan is to use what I am learning to pursue my next business ideas and also to help other kids start their own businesses.  One of the things I am excited about within the Business Honors program is the people in it.  I am going to have great classmates to learn and work with, and hopefully one day start businesses together with.

Internship Spotlight: Michael Valdez – BHP Junior

BHP junior, Michael Valdez, knew beginning his freshman year that he wanted to do an internship with Google. Starting the search for an internship early paid off when Michael was offered an intern position at the Google headquarters in Mount View, California. Michaels tells how his initial plans were to continue on to law school, but after a summer in Silicon Valley, life as a Googler may prove more persuasive.

Location: Mt. View, CA

Title: BOLD (Building Opportunities in Leadership Development) Intern

What steps did you take to secure your internship?

I started the summer after my freshman year. I participated in BOLD Immersion, where Google invites college freshmen to their headquarters to meet and greets to feel you out and get to know you. I applied for the BOLD Internship that following November. This specific internship has an expedited application process; there are no essays, but a lot of interviews. I knew exactly what team I wanted to be a part of so I made sure I did a lot of research and prepared for every interview.

What were the responsibilities for this role?

I worked with the Google Grants Team, which donates AdWords to non-profit organizations. My role was to use statistics to help the team out and look at the program as a whole. I used a lot of statistics, data analysis and Excel.

Describe the culture within the organization.

Unique. The biggest part was the transparency, being open and honest with both Google users and employees. We made a dedicated effort to allow employees to be open and give feedback. There wasn’t any sort of Ivory Tower feeling. My boss worked on the ground floor. I had access to my manager and my manager’s manager. I was able to meet and have lunch with the VP and SVP of my department. There are no closed-door offices; the people were welcoming and easy to talk to.

What was most surprising or unexpected thing you experienced?

It was better than college. I honestly didn’t think any job would be better than college. Google had a college vibe with free food and transportation. Employees even call the workplace “campus.”

What advice would you offer your peers in the Honors Program about getting the most out of an internship?

It’s most important to be assertive in meeting people when you get there. I would constantly try to set up lunch and coffee appointments with people within Google. Not just recruiters, but people in other departments too. Go out and just really enjoy your experience. Don’t just get to know the people in your area and pigeon-hole yourself. Silicon Valley is especially open to that type of culture.

How did you find classes in the Business Honors Program to be applicable during your internship?

A lot of things I was doing I realized — wow, I just took a final on this six weeks ago. I used a lot of things I learned in Statistics 371H such as regression analysis, data analysis. Really just math in general was useful. Professor Kumar was awesome. He did a good job of getting that material drilled into our heads and really making sure we were ready to take on these roles.

How did this organization ensure you got the most out of your internship experience?

Google pulled out all of the stops. You’re assigned to a mentor that has nothing to do with your job, just to help integrate you into the Google community and show you around. Then you have a manager that sets your objectives and helps you with what you need to do your job. I met with my manager day-to-day and discussed my OKR objectives and key results. Interns are also grouped into a BOLD Team, which sets up classes for you to go to weekly and listen to executive speakers. There were tons of events put on for BOLD interns.

How did this internship affect or influence your future career?

Right now my major is Management Information Systems (MIS) and my original plan was to continue on to law school. However, after my experience in the tech world I now realizeI’m not going to law school. I feel really good about my tech skills, like coding. Google is really good about getting you comfortable around technology and keeping you confident in knowing what you’re doing. I really like the tech world and I really like Silicon Valley. I hope to go back next summer.

What are the most valuable lessons you gained from this internship?

Communication is probably the best means of advancing yourself in your internship no matter what you’re doing. Communicating with your team about what you’re doing and being collaborative is the key to success. Being able to create well-written emails is so important to an internship or really any job. It’s not about your area of expertise, but how well you’re able to communicate those findings.

BHP Freshmen Kick Off the School Year

Written by Ashley Alcantara

This past weekend the Business Honors Program freshman class attended the Leadership Kickoff at the John Newcombe Ranch. During their stay, students were given everything they need to make the most of their first year in the BHP. The beginning of college, albeit cheesy, is also the beginning of the rest of your life. Every college freshman is faced with massive changes that can often be overwhelming, but at Leadership Kickoff students learned about how to approach challenges and be successful.

College is full of risk-taking and facing unfamiliar situations, which can be the most rewarding experiences if we allow ourselves to try them. A ropes course at Newcombe Ranch allowed BHP freshmen to learn how true this can be when they were given the opportunity to jump from a towering height while attached to a rope. While completely safe, “The Scream” was one of the scariest things I have ever convinced myself to do. However, the reward of flying through the air as I swung on the rope was invigorating. Leadership Kickoff demonstrated the benefits of taking a leap into the unknown, such as trying a new extracurricular activity or taking a challenging class.

BHP is most importantly about community and teamwork, as classmates can always depend on each other. Teamwork and trust were put to the ultimate test on a ropes course station where two students were elevated high off the ground with only each other as support. Complete trust was needed to walk across the rope without falling off. Likewise, action packed games and activities during the weekend required clear communication and cooperation for any team to be victorious. The freshman class learned that we can always depend on each other, whether its 50 feet in the air while balancing on a rope or within a professional setting twenty years from now.

Students were also given a chance to speak with alumni, meet PepsiCo representatives, swim in the pool, do the wobble at a dance party, eat delicious food, act out hilarious skits and attend the formal convocation ceremony for BHP. Most importantly though, during two extremely fun and unforgettable days, the class of 2017 learned that by overcoming fears and working together we will be extraordinary.

Student Spotlight: Sterling Hill

Sterling Hill, BHP & Finance ’13 spent the spring semester in Washington D.C. participating in the Archer Program. The Archer Program brings UT students to D.C. to allow them to experience working in government and politics. There are around 30 students per semester accepted from across the UT system schools. We sat down with him to hear more about his experience in the program and what he plans to do after he graduates.

Why were you interested in the Archer Program?

I have always been fascinated by politics and am minoring in government. I thought it would be a good opportunity to get outside of the business school and wanted to merge my interests in business and politics. I applied to the program, then shortly after I was admitted, I found out that I was going to have the opportunity to work for the financial sector.

Tell me more about what you did while you were in D.C.?

I was working for the Financial Services Round Table, whose mission is to protect and promote the economic vitality and integrity of its members and the United States financial system. They represent the interests of the 100 biggest financial institutions in the world. For example, when the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act came through after the financial crash, they represented the interests of the banks and financial institutions. I was an intern in this area and worked in the Government Affairs Department and worked directly under the chief lobbyist. I had the opportunity to attend a lot of committee hearings with politicians. My project for the semester was compiling election updates and results for lobbyists and politicians.

My favorite aspect of the program was being around 30 other super bright students who were all working at really interesting places. After talking with them, I was able to learn more about their experiences and it opened my eyes to other areas I am now interested in, like global trade.

Did you have any epiphanies about your career after school from the experience?

I did. I love Washington D.C. and learned more there than I probably have in all of my schooling so far. I am more knowledgeable now about politics. The experience helped me gain clarity on which avenue I want to pursue for my career, which I don’t think is politics after all.

What has been your favorite class at UT?

In the business school, it was Finance 376 taught by Robert Duvic. It taught me about global trade and how it affects the economy and people’s standard of living. It made me realize there is more to finance than just the numbers and showed me the actual human impact. Outside of the business school, I really liked the Theatre and Dance class that I took. I ended up going to see a bunch of shows on campus because I enjoyed it so much.

What are you involved in outside of class?

I am part of a service organization called Brothers Under Christ. It is a group of 200 guys who meet together each week to make a positive impact on campus. I also work for a technology startup in Austin called Predictable Data. They create data mining software for small businesses. I help with sales and finacials. I am also involved with a UT student organization called Students for Educational Reform, which educates students on the issues in education reform, while getting them involved in local schools.

What do you wish you had known coming in?

Get involved in something other than business to open your mind to new experiences and broaden your world view. Each time I got involved outside of the business school, it gave me a broader perspective of what is truly important.