January 08, 2025
While living and working abroad, Eric Stein ’69 came to appreciate the importance of global business competency and cultural experiences — so much so that he created a scholarship program to ensure Susquehanna students can intern with companies around the globe. Each year, recipients of the Eric Stein Fund for International Experience spend their summers working in businesses in other countries — like Australia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain and many others — gaining valuable work experience while expanding their cultural understanding and appreciation. In 2024, eight business students were named Stein Fellows and spent their summers interning abroad.
Amara Bookheimer ’25, a luxury brand marketing & management major from Mount Union, Pennsylvania, interned for University College Dublin, Ireland, where she completed a brand and competitor audit to gain information about fragmentation within university marketing services and to identify tactics used by competing universities that UCD could adopt in the future.
“The greatest lesson I learned through my internship experience is to ask questions and get to know who you are working with. The first few days, I was slightly confused on what I should be doing, but once I asked my supervisor, she confirmed that I was doing the right thing and to keep on going,” she said.
Bookheimer credited her Advanced Luxury Branding course with giving her the foundational knowledge necessary – how to create and design a brand – to successfully assist her employer.
“This course gave me a good perspective on the brand reset project at UCD,” Bookheimer said. “I hope this experience prepares me well for my future career goals by giving me firsthand experience in international business.”
Autumn DeCosmo ’25, a double major in marketing and music from White Marsh, Maryland, interned for the Barcelona Improv Group, the Spanish city’s premiere English-based improvisational theatre and comedy company.
“I was most interested in working with BIG as their marketing intern to experience the vibrant artistic community within Barcelona while growing my marketing skills to promote performances and workshops,” DeCosmo said. “BIG offers shows, workshops, jams, drop-ins and training and development for companies and professionals. They utilize the craft of improvisation not only to entertain but also as functional tools for everyday life.”
At BIG, DeCosmo promoted events, coordinated social media efforts, crafted weekly newsletters and wrote educational content to enhance audience engagement. She also served as the assistant stage manager for The Big Sing Musical Improv Festival, ensuring smooth operations and supporting the production team during the four-day event featuring international improvising groups, workshops and performances.
“The opportunity to blend both of my passions would provide a fulfilling career where I can contribute to the longevity of the arts community while expressing myself in the best way I know possible,” she said.
James Takats ’25, an international business major from West Islip, New York, served as a business development and marketing intern for Credit Management Opportunities and Solutions, of Dublin, Ireland.
In this role, Takats analyzed company and client data to build proper market segments for the company to target business opportunities. He also managed customer relationship management software to find ways to modernize the company’s approach to the public via its website.
“Susquehanna prepared me for this experience thanks to its amazing faculty and staff, specifically my advisors Basil Holobetz, lecturer in marketing & management, and Michele Welliver, associate professor and department head of communications, as they have taught me so many skills that have transferred to the professional world,” Takats said. “Though Susquehanna may be a small university, the impact we have, not only domestically but abroad, makes waves and I cannot thank them enough for all they have done for me during my time at SU.”
While abroad, Takats became fond of the word “yes.”
“The greatest thing I have learned throughout my internship experience and from being in Ireland is to start saying yes to things that are out of my comfort zone,” he said. “Take on the extra work tasks, make that presentation to the C-suite, go on that spontaneous trip. The worst thing that can come out of it is that you end up not liking it, but at least you tried it and gained the experience, which is all that really matters.”
Leah Zackus ’25, a marketing major from Pottsville, Pennsylvania, interned for AIFS (American Institute for Foreign Study) Abroad in Rome as a digital producer and marketing intern.
“I wanted to intern for AIFS because I want to work in the hospitality and tourism field after I graduate, so this combined the best of both worlds,” Zackus said. “I wanted to intern abroad to gain a new perspective on different work cultures. I chose Rome specifically because I have traced my heritage back to there and wanted to learn more about its history.”
During her internship, Zackus managed AIFS’ social media accounts for its Rome location, collaborated with AIFS headquarters on social media promotion and wrote blog entries about her experience abroad.
“The thing I most enjoyed about my experience was the people. My co-workers were the best team I could have joined. My mentors gave me feedback to better my work. And the students I worked with I still keep in touch with,” Zackus said.
Zackus also enjoyed being steeped in the history of ancient Rome.
“The first night, I walked 20 minutes to the Colosseum by accident with some friends. Throughout my stay in Rome, I would casually come across different historical sights,” she said. “Seeing so much history and how Italy preserved the original state of its historic buildings was amazing to see.”
While living and working abroad, Zackus came to appreciate the importance of global business competency and cultural experiences. Prior to his death in 2006, Eric Stein ’69 created the Eric Stein Fund for International Experience, which allows students in the Sigmund Weis School of Business to intern with companies around the globe.
All business school students are eligible to apply for the Stein Scholarship program. Other students who interned abroad this year with support of the Stein Fund were:
Olivia Good ’26 (Hometown: Ephrata, Pa.)
Country: Germany | Major: International Business
Emily Kowalski ’25 (Hometown: Wyomissing, Pa.)
Country: Ireland | Major: Marketing
Kimberly Mohn ’26 (Hometown: Reading, Pa.)
Country: Australia | Major: Management and Spanish Studies
Gracie White ’26 (Hometown: Middletown, Pa.)
Country: Australia | Major: Marketing