Abby Trzyzewski ’20 is headed to the Penn State School of International Affairs where she will concentrate on security studies with the hopes of one day working for the U.S. Foreign Service.
When Abby arrived at Berry as a freshman, she expressed an interest in business. Hands-on experience in the LifeWorks office, where she rose to become a student supervisor, and her first-year business classes quickly revealed a talent for logistics and creating structural plans, which influenced her decision to major in management.
Abby became known as a go-getter who took initiative in her studies and in her role training and supervising a team of office assistants. Mentored by Director of Student Work Mike Burnes, Abby gained confidence as she acquired leadership skills in a real-world setting.
“Abby began working for me as a freshman, and she was a great joy to have in the office and a very good worker. Even more importantly, she was a good leader,” Burnes says. “One day when she’s an important diplomat, I’ll be able to say I wrote recommendations for her grad school program!”
With the support of Joyce Heames, the dean of Berry’s Campbell School of Business, Abby landed an internship with the U.S. Department of State after discovering the opportunity in a career-development course. She spent four months in Bern, Switzerland, working in the management and diplomatic security offices at the U.S. embassy. Abby focused on a variety of tasks, including preparing for the 2019 World Economic Forum. Cultural immersion in another country allowed her to compare differences in work environments, explore local culture and improve her command of French.
“She and I Skyped every two weeks while she worked in Bern,” Heames says. “We talked about her work, but also about what she was experiencing. Abby is a well-spoken, charming young woman who tackles life with gusto! She will be a wonderful ambassador for Berry wherever she chooses to go.”
The time spent in Switzerland gave Abby insight into what she wants to do in the future. “Joining the State Department is not an easy or quick process,” she says, “but I am really looking forward to working toward it!”
