From the City of Lights to the City of Roses: My Donetsk, Ukraine Summer

Personal archives of Syreeta V. McDaniel, MBA. Photo taken at Donetsk National Technical University in 1996

2-minute read   
доброе утро - Dobroye Utro - Good morning! I wanted to share a photo and quick nugget about my brief time in Donetsk, Ukraine.
 
In the 2nd year that Temple University offered the International MBA program, I enrolled. It’s now the Global MBA. The program consisted of a dozen students that studied business principles on three continents in Europe, Asia, and North America at that time. Our full-time course load started in Paris, France during the fall; another full Spring load in Philadelphia; and then onto a summer in Tokyo, Japan.
 
As I prepared for Tokyo, a fellow grad student, Devon Allen, shared an opportunity to work in the Ukraine through the U.S. Agency for International Development and the U.S. Small Business Development Center (SBDC).  I interviewed for the position and was selected. Devon went to Kiev with our classmate Andre. I headed to the Donetsk National Technical University with Tom, the Temple University SBDC Consultant.
 
Fortunately, I also spent time in the capital city at the end of my stay. 
 
Patrick - What city are you from?
SVM - Philadelphia
P - Oh, that's Bill Clinton's problem.
 
"I'm Philadelphia, born and raised." However, at first glance, townspeople and students assumed that I was either Nigerian or Ghanian. Patrick headed the African student union at the time, but since I wasn't from Lagos or Accra, I didn't fall under his responsibility. Ha!
 
Click the video link below if you’d like to hear 5 seconds on my time in Ukraine’s “City of a Million Roses.” Until next time! Do Svidaniya - до свидания

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