By Gabby Cervantes, MBA ’10

Mesmerizing lights. Unforgettable food (sometimes for good reasons). A fascinating world of unknowns and eerie similarities. This was the beginning of my newfound love of China.

Like the U.S., China is undergoing economic and medical reform. Yet, China’s transformation seems to be taking place at lightning speed. One only needs to look out the hotel window to see 24/7 construction of a new mega building. The uber modern buildings of the new China, particularly those of Shanghai , decorate the landscape like pieces of art.

Through company meetings and fascinating discussions with our tour guides, everyone in our Evening MBA group realized that all that we know about China is very different from what we were experiencing for ourselves. That was the beauty of the international trip; it opens eyes and minds to better understand that, despite politics and culture, we’re more similar than we think. By learning first-hand about the everyday life of those who inhabit a country, we can make better decisions as future business leaders and as citizens of the world.

Perhaps the best lesson was that given by Mr. James Li, EJ McKay’s CEO in Shanghai. Mr. Li reflected upon his own experiences to give a simple suggestion and urged us to not be left behind. He said that we should look for opportunities and move forward. Never a better place to be given that advice than China, the new frontier for opportunities and dreams.