A Huntsman student checks in from Ghana

As a Huntsman School of Business student, I have definitely been encouraged to increase my global vision. Although I have been out of the country before, I had no idea how challenging and rewarding the S.E.E.D. program would be.

I am here in Abomosu, Ghana with three other Huntsman interns: Aaron Wade, Chelsey Funk, and Supe Lillywhite. We are halfway done with our internship, and we are absolutely loving it.

Life here in Abomosu has been amazing. The people here are so welcoming and excited to work with us. We teach classes in two different towns four nights a week. We teach in English but have a translator so everyone can understand. Our curriculum revolves around building a good business plan and helping them consider all the things necessary to start their business. Having to teach has helped me truly understand so many of the principles I learned in the business core.

Our class attendees exemplify entrepreneurial spirit. Ranging in age from 16 to 85, their ideas are just as diverse. Some want to expand inventory that they sell door to door (from a basket on their head), some want to buy fertilizers to increase their crop yield and others want to open a little bookstore.

After our first session of classes, we were able to give loans to our first pod. (A pod is a group of loan recipients who support each other and are responsible for each other’s loans.) This pod consists of three men who want to start a fish farm (the first in the area) and two cocoa farmers who will buy insecticides and fertilizers. We have many more business plans in the works and hope to give more loans soon.

We are proud to represent the Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University here in Ghana. S.E.E.D. is an amazing program that is changing the lives of not only the loan recipients, but also the interns. I am so grateful for this opportunity to make an impact in the world.

Melody Jensen