How Sidney Smith ’24 transformed her love of traveling into a career

Sidney Smith, ’24, has always loved connecting with people—the defining factor behind her choice to spend her undergraduate years at Clemson. It was her love of connection and her passion for travel that ignited her desire to study abroad and brought her to her new career. Beginning in a few months, Smith will move to Columbia, SC, to work for a nonprofit called Central SC Alliance as an economic development coordinator.

However, well before studying abroad and getting her new job, Smith was initially inspired at a young age by her grandparents to travel. “My grandparents used to travel all the time. When they returned from wherever they were traveling, they would sit us all down and give us a presentation where they would talk about everything they did. That was so special and one of the reasons I wanted to travel.”

Then, while in high school, Smith became fast friends with an exchange student from Madrid. Smith said that really solidified her decision to study abroad in college. Her connection with her friend made her realize that there was global connectedness found everywhere, and she wanted to be a part of that.

Entering her first year at the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business as a marketing student, Smith began to explore options for preparing to study abroad. She applied for the Pamela Maddex Hendrix Family Scholarship, a scholarship awarded to students who have committed to studying abroad during their undergraduate careers. This scholarship supports students financially and throughout the study abroad planning process. Smith initially thought she would only study abroad for a semester, but another opportunity was presented through the Dean’s Global Leadership Program (DGLP).

In the midst of her coursework, Sidney took the Global Negotiations course at the Powers College of Business. This class connected students from around the world and introduced the DGLP to Smith. It was through the program that Smith traveled abroad to South Korea for two weeks during the Summer of 2023 with 18 other students, accompanied by Judson Jahn, senior lecturer, Gaby Peschiera, lecturer and Dean York.

While in Seoul, South Korea, students explored the vibrant city while also meeting with global business professionals like Jonathan Cleave, Executive Vice President and Managing Director APAC at Intralink. Cleave works specifically with Asia expansion and trade and partners with the South Carolina Department of Commerce. When meeting Cleave, Smith and other DGLP students learned about the role South Carolina plays at a global level in Korea. Traveling to South Korea broadened Smith’s horizons and showed her the benefits of a career that was globally connected.

Following the trip, Smith spent a semester in the Netherlands as an exchange student. When she returned and began the job search, Smith reached out to Cleave to inquire about job opportunities with a global component. Cleave connected her with Jon Baggett, the Deputy Director of Global Business Development for the South Carolina Department of Commerce. Through Baggett, Smith met Jason Giulietti, president of the Central SC Alliance, the company Smith now works for. Her new role as an economic developer coordinator will allow Smith to continue forging meaningful connections on an international scale while also bringing economic opportunities to South Carolina.

As a recent marketing graduate, Smith is excited to embark on this new adventure and is especially excited to start her job and continue traveling. “I’m really looking forward to the international travel opportunities in economic development and getting to network and learn from industry leaders all over the world and right here in South Carolina.”

To learn more about study abroad opportunities, visit the Office of Global Engagement.