When London calls, these students have the answers
Global | Dec 23, 2015 | Gabelli School of Business
Claire DiCiuccio, Andrew Freire, and Ryan Marquis, all BS ’17, have created a guide for students studying abroad in London. (Photo by Bailey Link)
By Bailey Link
At the beginning of every school year, students listen to the Rev. Joseph McShane, SJ, president of Fordham University, discuss the Jesuit value of cura personalis, Latin for “care for the whole person.” He stresses the importance of attending to the needs of others.
Gabelli School students take that view to heart.
Claire DiCiuccio, Andrew Freire, and Ryan Marquis, all BS ’17, went a step further, using the principle as inspiration for a book that will help others.
It’s not a novel, but rather a guidebook: a primer for Fordham undergraduates who will follow in their path as students abroad in London who hold internships at KPMG U.K.
The guide teaches future students how to apply for visas, gives them travel tips, dispenses advice on getting accustomed to London, and offers details about working at KPMG.
No such handbook awaited DiCiuccio, Friere, and Marquis when they first arrived in London, and they saw a need. They believe that studying and working abroad need not go hand in hand with high stress.
“We faced significant hiccups in the initial planning period coupled with getting acclimated to London,” Freire said. “That is what led to the creation of the manual.”
First, there was research: The three reached out to past KPMG U.K. interns and London program alumni who had gone through the same process. They also gathered advice from Graham Bolton, director of the London program.
They compiled information on opening bank accounts, using the Tube to get from the London student apartment complex to the KPMG offices, traveling outside London, and sightseeing in the city. They also wrote about balancing time among work, travel, and studying.
Holding an internship in London is a great thing, the students said. The guidebook might make it a bit easier.
“Interning at KPMG was a wonderful experience, especially abroad. We experienced aspects of the business world that I never thought I’d encounter,” Marquis said.
The guide is available as a free download.
