I initially came to IU South Bend because it was the only college in the area that offered East Asian Studies, she explains. Carmen had always had an interest in Japanese culture, and followed her passion here to take Japanese language classes. Through attending IU South Bend, she also got to make her dreams come true and visit Japan as part of the study abroad program.
I got so much out of my study abroad experience. Being exposed to a different culture, making connections with other people it was just so impactful to me, says Carmen. It was an amazing experience.
vCarmen is set to graduate in May with a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Resource Management, with a minor in East Asian studies. While she was still in high school, Carmen also earned her cosmetology license. Her long-term career goals are to combine her areas of expertise in human resources and cosmetology and open her own salon.
I’d like to eventually take what I learned in my business classes and use what I learned to make a positive impact and increase job satisfaction for employees, which I would find very rewarding, explains Carmen.
Although she is looking forward to earning her degree and walking across the stage at commencement, Carmen looks back fondly on her experience at IU South Bend. Many students have the commonality with experiencing hardships, whether with life, work, or school. We have such great faculty and staff here that really support us no matter what, even if it’s out of the spectrum of classwork. You can truly succeed and overcome any challenges here at IU South Bend.
