As an American of Greek heritage, I have been fortunate enough to visit Greece every summer with my family. As the years have passed, I have witnessed many changes as Greece has encountered daunting economic and political challenges. Now, Athens seems deserted at times, shopkeepers have hung up signs saying “Closed forever,” and people are struggling with poverty. The effect of the government’s strict austerity measures and harsh capital controls show on people’s faces and on the new graffiti plastered on every street, transforming a vibrant city into a tame version of her past.
Witnessing this transformation has made me realize just how interconnected economics, politics, business, and people truly are, and is what attracts me to the Business and Political Economy (BPE) major at Stern.
In BPE, with classmates from all over the world, I would welcome the chance to learn both about and from students whose experiences are so different from mine. The intellectual vitality of a large university and the opportunity to spend semesters abroad in London and Shanghai create the type of immersive experience in which I can best learn how business is conducted, how different cultures make a stamp on it, and what it takes to succeed in such environments. BPE’s interdisciplinary curriculum highlights contemporary issues that govern business, countries, and lives, and represents to me the virtue of a new era in business learning. The balanced focus on quantitative and qualitative approaches separates BPE from other programs and makes it truly unique.
Furthermore, I look forward to taking classes such as Commerce and Culture, where I can analyze how commerce has impacted American society, and Emerging Markets Finance, where I can assess the economic opportunities within emerging financial markets around the world. Outside the classroom, I hope to participate in “Stern Cares,” which appeals to me because it is combines business with positive social impact.
As the earth gets smaller and more interconnected, it is essential to understand business beyond our own borders. Daring to paraphrase Socrates, I do not want to be Athenian or Greek or American, but a citizen of the world.