Student Story

More Than Business as Usual

Majoring in Business at the Mount

By Anya Savage, C’05

How did you spend your summer? As a Mount senior, Scott Elder of Skaneateles, New York, spent his summer in Ireland interning for Welch Allyn, Inc., a top European sales company, learning the ropes of the international market. Welch Allyn is an international medical diagnostic company. While there, Scott learned how to engage in real business situations dealing with different markets such as the European Market. “I learned the different processes that a product has to go through in order to be sold,” he notes.

Scott chose to come to the Mount because his brother was an alumnus and had enjoyed going here. “I had always loved coming down to visit him,” Scott explains. “I also discovered that the business faculty comes from some of the finest universities in the nation, ranging from Duke and Harvard to Yale and Notre Dame. They have a great deal of practical experience actually doing the things they teach.”

Many opportunities, like Scott’s internship in Ireland, are available for students of all majors. Scott believes that in order to be successful “it takes hard work, dedication to your studies and good time management, which will all pay off in the end.”

As a business major at the Mount, Scott took courses that have enabled him to work effectively in an international market. Among his favorite classes were International Marketing, Marketing Research and Principles of Marketing. Scott says that each class offers a new and unique perspective on the global impact of marketing and business. He adds, “Dr. Kirk Davidson, director of the business department, has been an inspiration because of his knowledge and the time that he puts into making us become more business minded.”

According to Scott, it’s important for incoming students to “take the time to get to know your professors; they are always there for you with advice about future plans. The career center also offers many opportunities. They can give you a heads up on job fairs and internships.” 

And Scott’s future plans? He hopes to get into medical sales for a pharmaceutical company.