Graduating Student Spotlight: Hunter VanScoy
Hunter VanScoy graduates from the Master of International Business (MIB) program this semester. He reflects on his time in the program and shares his insights on the Global Immersion Experience (GIE) trip.
VanScoy: “I went to Allen D. Nease High School in Ponte Vedra, FL, which is actually where Tim Tebow played football. If that wasn’t destiny enough for becoming a Gator myself, my mom is a very proud Gator alum who studied finance here. My family means a lot to me, and being a University Florida alumni like them makes me feel even closer to them.”
Q: What are your best memories from the MIB program?
VanScoy: “The best part of the MIB program is the ease at which you meet like-minded people. I’ve never found it so easy to make friends before, and everyone is so nice and welcoming. Studying together for classes we were all interested in made things feel special, and I will for sure be keeping in touch with so many of these friends as we all move on in our careers.”
Q: Could you share your experiences on the Global Immersion Experience trip?
VanScoy: “The GIE trip was so unexpected. Traveling is always special, but having the privilege of being able to work with international companies was so validating to us all. I went to Panama and we visited several different firms in different fields – law, housing development, hospitality, tech, shipping and wholesalers. The main project we did was for Mallol Architects, and my group also researched Panama Pacifico – a land-grant mixed-use community. We were also able to tour things outside of a business sense, like old ruins and the Presidential Palace. Hearing them say that the work we did was amazing really made me proud, and everyone on the trip bonded so much over the experience. I highly recommend it to anyone.”
Q: What are you doing after graduation from the MIB program?
VanScoy: “ I’ll be moving to Jacksonville following graduation. I just closed on a house there so I am neck-deep in an interior design phase right now. I have a job with Ernst & Young there, and I am looking forward to returning to them after my internship this past summer. There is a lot that I learned in the MIB program that I think will bring a different and valuable perspective to the company.”
Q: Where do you see yourself five years from now?
VanScoy: “Hopefully in five years I have started a family. Like I said, family means a lot to me and I am almost ready to start that chapter of my life. I plan to keep working and hope to transition my role to focus more on sustainability consulting and maybe even start looking at helping out nonprofits. There are a lot of social and economic issues in the South that I want to try to fix.”
Q: Any advice for future MIB students?
VanScoy: “To future MIB students – get involved! There are so many opportunities to connect with your classmates, but you need to jump in and do them. Talk to the person seated next to you, go to that mixer, or commit to the GIE. You never know which connection is going to lead to great things.”
Q: Tell us a cool fact about you.
VanScoy: “I am also a UF Impact Scholar, which is a really cool program that MIB students can also get involved with! I would highly recommend other students seek that out.”
