Study Abroad Testimonies

Tyler Schmidt Hospitality Management Student
My experience in Nepal has been amazing! As a hospitality management student, I was able to see almost every aspect of tourism in Nepal and the far reaching humanitarian and economic affects it can have. My favorite part was trekking though the villages and being able to stay at the homestays, cooking meals with the locals, drinking the best tea I've ever had every day, and forming relationships with people along the way.

After our trek we were able to see the amazing towns of Pokhara and Chitwan. In Pokhara we got to explore the lake and go paragliding, which is something I'd recommend everyone try. In Chitwan we got to do a safari where we got incredibly close to all the wild animals in the national park, my favorite one being the eagle we got within feet of. Now that I'm back in Kathmandu and settled into my internship with the company who helped book all our trips, I've gotten to develop my professional career far more than I could have ever expected. Five14, the parent company I'm doing my internship with is a bed and breakfast, cafe, and adventure booking company with the mission of "Preventing exploitation through ethical and responsible tourism" and "Stopping human exploitation by creating jobs". I've been able to interact with the internal operations of a multi-faceted hospitality company and have even been able to practice my culinary skills by helping formulate new recipes and specials at their cafe. Overall, Nepal has been a once in a lifetime experience that I'll cherish forever. The people have been friendly and cordial, the food has been flavorful and eye- opening, and the trip has been a life changing experience.