I want to thank you for your support in offering the Haventree Bank Scholarship, the money allowed me to get the most out of my experience undertaking a semester at Exeter. I just submitted my final essay and have now officially finished my exchange. My favourite module was International Taxation. We learned how multi-national corporations use tax planning to minimize their tax liabilities while also touching on the ethical and political implications of such practices.

The funds from your scholarship gave me the opportunity to stay in university accommodation, travel to mainland Europe, and join numerous sports and societies. I met some of my closest exchange friends from across the globe staying in university accommodation and used the opportunity to improve my novice, but developing, culinary skills. I travelled to Spain and Italy for the first time with my flatmate, and it was an experience I will never forget. Walking around the streets of Madrid and Rome and meeting locals and other travellers was an eye-opening experience that will have a profound impact on my personal and professional life. For example, seeing the different values on work-life balance and different communication styles improved my cultural intelligence and will help me succeed in an increasingly diverse and globalized business world.

Without a doubt, the highlight of my semester was the sports and societies I took part in. Having the funds from the scholarship allowed me to try new things and meet new people that I would not have gotten to experience if I did not have the scholarship funds to subsidize the membership fees. My favourite sport was the University of Exeter Tennis Club. Tennis was the one sport I was never able to play. I took the opportunity to attend one to two tennis sessions each week, looking to improve and have fun at the same time. By the end of the term, I went from barely being able to get the ball in the court to playing full-court rallies without thinking.

My favourite society was the Scandinavian society. After being convinced to join by my Scandinavian friends in the first week of term, I made numerous new friends and learned a lot about Scandinavian culture along the way.

Overall, my exchange experience was a perfect balance of learning and fun. The experiences I had and the friendships I made are things I will remember for the rest of my life, and with your generous donation of the Haventree Bank Scholarship, I was able to experience everything the University of Exeter had to offer!

I am now back at Queen’s for the winter semester. I am surprisingly enjoying the snow and cold weather after four months in England.

Moving forward, I will be interning as an associate consultant for Mastercard in their Toronto office this upcoming summer. I am excited to use the skills I developed on my exchange to succeed next summer and throughout my career.

Thank you again for your support

Chris