Emily Swann
I’m from a small town in the southern part of West Virginia. When I say small I truly mean it—my town has less than 2,000 people. I have lived in the exact same house since I was born, but have been traveling by myself ever since I was in middle school. My favorite places have been Ireland and Scotland. In my free time I love playing soccer, listening to music, dancing, and learning new languages. Luckily for me, IE offers Mandarin classes, so I am able to pursue that passion here. I hope to be somewhat familiar with as many languages as I can in the future!
"IE University has helped me put my passions into practice. I’ve been able to explore more and find sources to work in these areas."
After months of vigorous research, Emily decided to pursue her academic studies at IE University, applying for one of our undergraduate programs. As someone who values diversity and creativity, she was determined to find a university which prioritized these qualities in its student body, and IE was the perfect match! Although she initially wanted to study International Relations, the mixture of Law and International Relations, offered via our Dual Degrees program, made Emily reconsider her original plan. Despite the challenging academic nature of this study path, Emily dedicated herself to pursuing this dual degree so as to widen her horizons for her professional future. She has embraced the challenge, thanks to the expertise and guidance provided by her professors, as well as the plethora of unique opportunities provided at IE University.
Emily has had the opportunity to take part in the IE Collaboration Award Scholarship, volunteering at events where she is able to talk to future students. Due to her passion for helping others, she finds assisting students with their future plans at IE extremely fulfilling, especially when she spots them walking down the university halls the following year. This year, Emily has had the opportunity to be a mentor for the Mentorship Society. She has also been head delegate for her class.
As for clubs and events at IE, she is a part of the debate, improv, LGBTQ+ & Allies, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) clubs. Thanks to taking part in these student associations, in her first year, she was able to travel with other students to Bonn, Germany, to take part in a Model United Nations (MUN). Whenever she has free time or an interesting event comes up, she really enjoys attending extra lectures or workshops given by professors or guest speakers.
IE University has helped Emily to explore her passions and discover what she wants for her future. She always knew that she liked helping others and always wanted to go into politics, but IE has helped her put her passions into practice. She has been able to explore these passions further by learning about how to find areas of work that suit her interests. This includes volunteering at the Mentorship Society, where she is able to help first-year students, as well as going to mock governmental events to gain a perspective on political processes. Furthermore, IE has helped Emily explore areas she was not aware that she enjoyed, such as entrepreneurship. Through classes, workshops and competitions, Emily has been able to unlock the undiscovered part of herself that enjoys coming up with innovative ideas and trying to pursue them. This is one of many reasons why Emily has really come to love life at IE. Not only has it helped her to open doors to the future she has always wanted, in order to move towards her life goals, but it has helped her discover new opportunities that she never even knew existed.
Emily also has a profound interest in learning new languages. In her home town in the United States the only language classes she was able to take were Spanish and French. But Emily did not stop there—she also dedicated herself to online classes in Mandarin, Korean and Thai. Luckily for her, IE offers Mandarin classes to students, so she is able to enhance this skill in between her studies. She hopes to become proficient in as many languages as possible in the years to come, expanding her international outreach.
In the future, Emily hopes to work for governmental or non-governmental organizations which work towards bettering relations between the United States and Asia. She believes that there is major potential in Asia and wants to help the United States fully realize that, by helping growth on both sides. She has already completed several internships: for example, with Fundacion Cadete, The Omni Homestead Resort, and in her home town’s city hall. Emily was able to work with Fundacion Cadete through the IE Social Impact Lab, and it was an amazing experience for her. Being able to research and help aid an NGO helped open a whole new world for her. Working at a resort made her realize how much she enjoyed helping people in various situations. And working for the city hall provided her with the skills necessary to deal with basic administrative functions in local government.
So it’s little surprise to hear that a quote from Jane Goodall is something she’s always lived by: “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”