Viktor Bunin (’14) wouldn’t know much about what some persist in calling “the lazy days of summer.” Through personal efforts and connections, last spring the economics and psychology double major secured a work-abroad stipend to cover transportation costs for a three-month, summer 2013 internship with Self Spark, a personal wellness/life-coaching company in Singapore.
For Bunin, the experience was nothing if not transformative, a veritable “trial by fire.” He explains, “It was the first time that I had to fend for myself on all fronts without family to turn to . . . . I learned to get things done and take charge in a way that couldn’t be taught in school. I learned how to handle crises. Most importantly, my trip taught me the value of a level head, patience, and perseverance.” His conclusion: “Working abroad made a man out of me.”
Bunin (who lives in Brooklyn but hails from Russia) was also profoundly affected by the city of Singapore itself. “The beautiful efficiency with which a newly built city operates” was a revelation to the Baruch senior. “Singapore isn’t as restricted by landmarks and past developments as many other world cities,” he explains, “so its urban planners were, and still are, able to develop the city to maximize its potential.” Singapore is the world’s fourth-leading financial center and its port one of the five busiest in the world.
Of the entire experience, Bunin says, “This trip opened my mind. It challenged my preconceived beliefs and, in doing so, shook me to my core.”
Weissman School of Arts and Sciences Dean Jeffrey Peck couldn’t be happier to hear this level of excitement. Peck, also the College’s vice provost of global strategies, says, “Experiences like Viktor’s show how much a global perspective can affect and inspire the next generation.”
—Diane Harrigan