Kaelyn Mlostek traveled to Luxembourg to explore her interest in finance. Three weeks later, she returned with new friendships, a broader understanding of the industry and experiences that would follow her back into the classroom at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.
Mlostek participated in ESSCA’s summer program, a new addition to the College of Business’s global program offerings. Through courses in sustainable finance and blockchain and cryptocurrency, she explored subjects relevant to her career interests while learning directly from professionals working in the field.
“The company visits and conversations with professionals gave me knowledge I would not have gained in the same way from lecture notes alone.”
Visits to organizations including Quintet Private Bank, Société Générale Private Banking, Fidelity International and EY brought those lessons to life. Professionals shared how their organizations approached sustainable finance, while instructors drew on their own careers to connect classroom discussions with their work in banking and finance.
That connection was especially clear at the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, where students attended two course sessions focused on the Luxembourg Green Exchange. Launched in 2016 as the world’s first platform dedicated exclusively to green bonds, it offered Mlostek a closer look at how financial markets can support environmental and social goals.
Her exploration of the industry continued at Nexus Luxembourg, an international technology summit that drew 10,000 attendees from 85 countries in 2026. More than 400 speakers across five conference stages explored topics including artificial intelligence, financial technology and the future of business.
Moving between sessions and exhibits, Mlostek heard entrepreneurs describe how they built their companies, explored technologies including robots and listened to professionals discuss developments shaping the industry she hopes to enter. By the time she returned to Dearborn, she had experiences to draw on alongside her coursework.
“When I returned to my corporate finance class, a question came up about something I had already learned and seen in Luxembourg.”
The professionals she met were only part of that learning. Studying alongside undergraduate and graduate students from different countries introduced Mlostek to perspectives shaped by other cultures, educational backgrounds and careers.
“I was learning from the instructors, but I was also learning from classmates about how other countries operate.”
As the group spent time together, those conversations grew into friendships. Mlostek became close with classmates from Oman and China and enjoyed getting to know her roommate, a UM-Dearborn graduate student who shared stories about her career in finance.
Weekends gave students more time to connect and explore beyond Luxembourg. Mlostek visited Germany with other students and traveled to Poland to spend time with family. Looking back, the relationships she built stand out as much as the places she visited.
“The people I met were the most memorable part. We spent three weeks together, and I still talk with friends I made in the program.”
Experiences like Mlostek’s show how international study can expand a business education, connecting academic interests with new places, people and possibilities. The College of Business is helping more students pursue those opportunities through the new, donor-funded COB International Study Support Fund.
Eligible students can receive scholarships of up to $2,000 to help cover the cost of international study programs, making a global experience more accessible as they plan their education.
Explore College of Business global programs and available scholarship support
