Ten Stephen F. Austin State University students capped off their summer I term “Discovering Business” course in the Nelson Rusche College of Business with a trip to Latvia from July 22 to Aug. 2. Old Town in Riga, Latvia’s capital, was one of their stops.
Ten Stephen F. Austin State University students capped off their summer I term “Discovering Business” course in the Nelson Rusche College of Business with a trip to Latvia from July 22 to Aug. 2.
The study abroad course, now in its fourth year, is designed to introduce incoming first-year and current students of all majors to business concepts and principles while helping them meet fellow Lumberjacks and faculty members before the fall semester starts.
“I decided to take the course because I’ve never done anything like it before, and I thought it was a great way to travel and earn credit,” said Rebecca Oyeniyi, a finance sophomore from Houston. “The trip definitely exceeded my expectations; I didn’t think that it would be that fun and that I would make so many friends along the way. My experience was genuinely immersive, having not been outside the U.S. before. It truly felt like I was in a different world.”
In Riga, Latvia’s capital, students toured Old Town, including the Dome Cathedral, Latvia’s largest medieval church, which dates back to 1211 and features a grand organ with nearly 7,000 pipes. They also explored the Art Nouveau district, where around 800 buildings were built in this style between 1901 and 1914.
In Bauska, where the Mūsa and Mēmele rivers meet to form the Lielupe River, students explored Baltic history through medieval castle ruins and palaces designed by architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli for the Duchy of Courland. The medieval theme continued through tours of the red-brick castle in Turaida and the Livonia Order Castle in Cēsis before students jumped forward in time with their visit to Līgatne’s Soviet-era bunker, once a top-secret shelter for the political elite in the event of nuclear war.
Students also took in nature at Ķemeri National Park, where they visited the Great Ķemeri Bog Boardwalk and the Baltic Sea coast. In Sigulda, they viewed the Gauja Valley’s sandstone cliffs, and, in the Abava River Valley, they toured Sabile, home of the world’s northernmost open-air vineyard; Kuldīga’s Ventas Rumba, Europe’s widest waterfall; and the Riežupe Sand Caves, which were once quarried for glass production.
Between visiting Latvia’s historic sites and nature reserves, students explored the city’s businesses with tours of Avenie, a dairy-free, plant-based ice cream maker and factory; Silver Standard Houses, a manufacturer specializing in energy-efficient timber-frame houses, prefabricated building components and roof trusses; the Laima Chocolate Factory and Museum, where sweets have been crafted for over a century; and Erenpreiss, a city bicycle manufacturer continuing the legacy of Gustavs Erenpreiss, Latvia’s largest bike producer in the 1930s.
“My favorite business to visit was Sliver Standard Houses because I was able to see behind the scenes of house construction,” Oyeniyi said. “We got to see the plans for future designs. It was also really cool seeing the difference in the build of American versus European houses.”
Faculty members who teach the “Discovering Business” course hope the connections students made during the trip will contribute to their success at SFA.
“I hope the friendships the students developed continue to grow throughout their respective tenures as SFA students,” said Dr. Drew Thornley, associate professor of legal studies, who co-taught the course and led the trip with Dr. Ryan Phelps, associate professor of economics. “I believe the trip helped students become more culturally aware and sensitive and that the trip opened students’ eyes to the myriad possibilities travel and business can afford them.”
The next “Discovering Business” course, open to both undergraduate and graduate students of all majors, will explore businesses in Greece from Jan. 5 to 15. For more information on this study abroad opportunity, email Dr. Robert McDermand, course instructor, at mcdermanrd@sfasu.edu.
ABOUT STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE UNIVERSITY
Stephen F. Austin State University, the newest member of The University of Texas System, began a century ago as a teachers’ college in Texas’ oldest town, Nacogdoches. Today, it has grown into a regional institution comprising six colleges — business, education, fine arts, forestry and agriculture, liberal and applied arts, and sciences and mathematics. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, SFA enrolls approximately 11,000 students while providing the academic breadth of a state university with the personalized attention of a private school. The main campus encompasses 421 acres that include 40 academic facilities, 11 residence halls, and 68 acres of recreational trails that wind through its six gardens. The university offers more than 80 bachelor’s degrees, more than 40 master’s degrees and four doctoral degrees covering over 120 areas of study. Learn more at sfasu.edu.
By University Marketing Communications
