i joined an org

hi. My name is Mats, and I’m a freshman studying economics at USC.

Honestly, I wasn’t planning on joining ISA in my first year. My plan was just to chill out for my first semester but now that I’m here, I continue to thank the person that had convinced me to apply.

As a student that studied in Thailand for most of my life, I grew up with the same group of friends and peers pretty much my whole life. Admittedly, one of the concerns I had was about whether the unfamiliar environment would impact my social life. As a freshman, I wasn’t expecting much but after only a semester, I can say that I have already made lifelong friends. From after meeting hangouts to various events, I have become close to several of my peers at ISA, both e-board and interns alike.

Some of my favorite memories include Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios, and the recent International Trivia Night hosted by us Interns! It is easy to tell that those in ISA care for each other, resulting in an open environment that allows freshmen like me to explore my interests so early into college life.

As an intern, I’ve benefited from various activities, such as shadowing certain e-board members as well as working together with other interns to organize a successful event. In all honesty, I feel that my work experience here has contributed to my own confidence and practical skills, even leading me to find an internship for this upcoming summer. I will definitely be applying to become an e-board chair for next year, so if you happen to feel inspired by my intern experience, hopefully I’ll see you here next year :).