Erva Kan , BS’17

Analyst, Investment Office of Turkey

I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Global Business from the University of Texas at Dallas. I was a double major in Global Business and Business Administration. I spent my last semester interning at the Regional Desks Program as part of the Richardson Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Development.

I found out about the internship from Professor Zydorek, one of my mentors at UT Dallas. The program, a pilot at the time, was carefully structured and adapted to participating students. I enjoyed the newness and the transformation the program allowed with every additional intern. As part of the program, the interns’ responsibilities were to find and assist worldwide firms expanding to Richardson. I met fascinating people and made good contacts during the brief time I interned before graduation.

Following my graduation in 2017, I spent some time traveling until permanently relocating to Istanbul, Turkey. Istanbul was a city I was quite familiar with, not only because I had lived here when I was young but also because I had spent a semester abroad at Ozyegin University. Sometime after moving to this city, I decided to either pursue a master’s or gain some workforce experience.

It’s been a little over 6 months since I began working at an investment agency here in Istanbul.

Looking back, the Regional Desks Program was beneficial and a good stepping stone for entering the workforce, especially for individuals interested in the investment field and international fields. I am grateful for the experience I had at Regional Desks because of the work and the diverse international people I met during the program; being in an international environment helps one grow and broaden their horizons and stretch their minds and also make connections.