In January, students from the Masters of Business Administration program had the opportunity to receive international exposure through a two-week trip to Ecuador.
While in Ecuador, students took a business class and spoke with local businesses. They also participated in white water rafting, hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding in the Andes Mountains.
The program began four years ago when someone from the University program was relocated to Ecuador.
Jennifer Loftin, a coordinator for the trip, said it exposed students to the global economy.
“The trip is a great experience to see that the world is a different place from Louisiana,” Loftin said.
Loftin said the students also visited local businesses, where the owners spoke to them about different aspects of their business.
Nicole Bellelo, a second-year MBA student, said on the trip the students had the opportunity to see how people in Ecuador ran their businesses.
In Ecuador there are not many chain stores and some people turn their front lawns into stores, Bellelo said.
“We participated in activities that applied to the business world,” Bellelo said.
April Leonpacher, a second-year MBA student, said the lectures from local business owners showed students the opportunities available in other countries.
“In Ecuador, there are so many untapped resources that could raise money for the country,” she said.
Although Ecuador has the most bio-diverse land in the world, it is underdeveloped because the citizens lack an entrepreneurial spirit. The citizens would rather sit back and let the government run things, Bellelo said.
Starting a new business is hard because the interest rate is about 16 percent. In order to be considered for a loan, a person would have to have connections or be a 30-year member of the bank, Bellelo said.
Throughout the trip, students were shown the problems preventing Ecuador from becoming a more developed country.
“They have an unstable political system where the citizens think it is acceptable to be crooked and take advantage of the political position as long as they do something good for the country while they are in office,” Bellelo said.
Leonpacher said the trip gave her an opportunity to see the poverty in other countries.
“It made me realize how grateful we should be as Americans,” Leonpacher said. “It was a humbling experience.”
Most of the people in Ecuador grow their own food and must rely on their crops to feed their families, Leonpacher said.
“There is no community, just a group of individuals that happen to live in the same area,” Leonpacher said.
Although the trip focuses on the business world, students from any major are invited.
“We are currently trying to get a group together to go in May after graduation,” Loftin said.