Read about this month’s International Studies Alumni Spotlight. Alumni were asked to share how their International Studies major or minor has influenced their path after graduating from the University of Michigan.
May 2020
Elise Vocke
BA International Studies (Comparative Culture and Identity); Sweetland Minor in Writing; Certification in Sales and Marketing from the Ross School of Business ‘19
Hometown: Wilton, CT
University of Michigan Affiliations: Autism Speaks, Women's Glee Club, College Magazine
“Currently, I am working at an artificial intelligence startup in New York City right in Midtown Manhattan. My specific role is in Sales and Strategic Partnerships, and I am also responsible for lead generation. There is so much you can do with an International Studies major - I ended up working in the tech industry, and the way that I got into the business world was leveraging the amazing Alumni Association while I was in school. I reached out to PICS alumni on LinkedIn and asked for 30-minute phone calls to hear about their experiences after graduation to hone in on what I wanted to do. Having an International Studies degree helps me in my sales career because I learned how to be culturally competent, interact with different kinds of people (I have professional conversations with people in multiple countries nearly every day), support my arguments with facts, think on my feet, and develop relevant messaging content for prospects.”
