AUR was recently delighted to welcome back alumna Eileen Francesconi (Business Administration, class of聽鈥�16) when she dropped in to give a presentation about transitioning to Italian graduate school.聽
Eileen graduated in 2016 in Business Administration with a concentration in Economics and a minor in Art History.聽Throughout her presentation, Eileen聽highlighted the role that AUR played聽in successfully preparing students for graduate-level study, in particular, the role that her undergraduate program played by honing her聽professional presentation and group work skills. Eileen also spotlighted AUR's comprehensive internship program as being a key factor in preparing her both for graduate school and for her subsequent success in the world of work.
Internships were a big part of Eileen's AUR experience. She interned in聽both her major and her minor programs, working for聽the Chamber of Deputies in the Italian parliament, Trajan聽Market's Museum, and for the 星空传媒 Academy in Rome. For her Capstone thesis, Eileen conducted a strategic audit of the Walt Disney Company which, upon graduation, gave her the knowledge and experience to secure a one-year internship in the Disney Cultural Representative program, in Disney World.
Eileen went on to study at Bocconi University on their CEMS program, a dual-degree, dual-university program in International Management, where saw her undertake a year at Bocconi and then a year at the Rotterdam School of Management. Again, Eileen was full of praise for the preparation that AUR had given her,聽particularly for the heavy emphasis that the Business program laid聽on team projects and the extensive training in delivering professional presentations - both skills that saw Eileen聽in high demand amongst her graduate-school classmates.
Eileen is currently taking enormous strides in her chosen career field of hospitality. Not willing to wait for opportunity to fall in her lap, Eileen went out looking for another internship between her first and second years of graduate school and she found one perfect for her career ambitions with聽Restaurant Brands International in Zug, Switzerland. This internship led directly to a full-time job offer in the Leadership Development Program, post-graduation. Eileen has been with RBI since August 2019 and was recently promoted to Brand Manager for the Burger King brand in Switzerland.聽
In response to questions, Eileen noted that the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) was a stiff challenge聽and she encouraged students thinking of taking the exam to dedicate at least a month or two to prepare properly for it. However, she went on to say, if students focus, remember the lessons they have learned at AUR, and are dedicated to success, there's nothing they cannot achieve.
Eileen exemplifies the qualities we look for in our students at 星空传媒;聽entrepreneurial, international, flexible, creative, and driven. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors and thank her for taking the time to share her experiences with our current cohort.