Ray’s Curiosity for Language Learning Lands Him an Internship
“Having the ability to speak a second language has opened more doors for me than I could or would have ever imagined, and I hope as I continue to improve my German skills that I am able to do more and more with them,” said, University of Arkansas alum, John Ray.
While studying business, Ray decided to enroll in a German course just out of curiosity, but after having such a great experience with the faculty, he decided to dig a little deeper.
“I was on the fence about continuing with German after fulfilling my major requirements, so I decided to take one more class to help with my decision, and it was a class with Dr. Jennifer Hoyer,” he said.
“I ended up deciding to continue with German and completed my minor after taking those classes with her.”
As a result of his inquisitiveness, Ray is doing a one-year internship in the Global headquarters for Hilti in Schaan, Liechtenstein as a packaging specialist.
In this role, he aids with design packaging solutions for Hilti’s products. After this internship, he hopes to either stay with Hilti in either Liechtenstein or Germany or continue his education.
“Being able to speak and conduct meetings in German has helped give me more credibility, especially with our outside suppliers,” said Ray.
He also said that learning German has helped his self-confidence and improved his communication skills in English.
To learn more about the German program at the U of A, click here.