Kristin Willard

Kristin Willard calls her Berry Center internship in Montevideo, Uruguay, "a life changing experience."  There she immersed herself in the world of international finance and marketing while gaining a new cultural perspective. 

“The experience has helped me to see the world from a global perspective," she says. "It's easy to think that everyone must think about the world in ways similar to us, but I was able to see the 'Latin American' view and learn more about the region.”

Willard spent the summer of 2006 working for RenMax Sociedad de Bolsa, a brokerage house registered with the Uruguayan Stock Exchange.  RenMax provides investment advice and services to companies and individuals, mostly dealing with bonds and emerging markets.

She designed a PowerPoint marketing presentation in English that showcased RenMax and all the services they offer. She also updated emerging market information for distribution by email each morning; edited the English version of the company’s website; and tracked global and industry news throughout the day.

"I learned just as much outside of the office as I did inside," she adds. "I don't speak Spanish, and I had never traveled internationally by myself before. But I fell in love with Uruguay and the Uruguayan people and the city of Montevideo."

Inspired by her time in Uruguay, Willard added an international studies focus to her economics and business major and began taking Spanish classes.