Entrepreneurship with a Social Cause: International Business Student Peter Ogden
Peter Ogden is an International Business student from Spokane, Washington. As part of Enactus (an international nonprofit organization dedicated to young entrepreneurs), Peter and the rest of the JCU team traveled to Silicon Valley for the Enactus World Cup. An active member of the JCU community, Peter plans to dedicate himself to social impact business.
What brought you to JCU?
The Pacific Northwest was a wonderful place to grow up, but I realized early on that I wanted to discover the world and make great changes to my life. Thus, my dream to live and study in Europe planted its seed, budding into a promise I made to myself during the final years of high school. To my surprise, John Cabot University had signed up for a college fair in my city, and a few weeks later I was formally greeted by a representative from the university.
Peter Ogden
What are the advantages of studying International Business today?
The advantages of studying International Business come with the realization of the world’s increasingly globalized and interconnected market. By understanding International Business, I have begun to look at the world through a different lens. As a result, my field of study has become a vehicle to understanding corporate decisions, motivations, and human behavior at its core. Ultimately, International Business has taught me that people need business to survive and to understand other individuals around them.
Tell us about your experience traveling to Silicon Valley as part of the Enactus project.
The Enactus organization brings together individuals from different cultural backgrounds, to generate social impact. The project that our team presented at the World Championship in Silicon Valley, “Our Common Thread,” aimed to give indigent people a tailoring job through the refurbishing of second-hand clothes that we collected at JCU. The trip inspired me to continue my own entrepreneurial actions and spread awareness on the growing importance of business with a social cause.
You have participated in the Business Club and founded the JCU Band. How has this affected your academic experience?
My participation in student clubs has greatly improved my academic experience. Clubs have allowed me to make new friends outside of my major and have opened new doors to me. They have enriched my daily life and helped me grow as an individual outside of the classroom.
What classes have given you the most in terms of personal enrichment?
Professor Silvia Pulino’s Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Professor Riccardo Maiolini’s New Product Management. I believe all students, regardless of their field of interest can greatly benefit from attending one of these classes.
What are your plans for the future?
My plans for the future are to stay in Rome, obtain a master’s in International Management, and work in the financial sector. I hope to put my business skills into practice in Rome’s international work environment. In addition to my professional career, I hope to find a means to help individuals who are struggling to make ends meet. In order for this to be achieved, I will make the effort to join and aid local organizations in their mission to help fight poverty.
What advice would you give to incoming JCU students?
Join a club and push yourself out your comfort zone every day John Cabot’s community will stand by you and support you from the beginning all the way to the end, giving you a second family. Also, enjoy one of the world’s most beautiful cities, but I’m sure you knew that already!
