Tuck Bridge Stories: Erin Breen

Erin Breen is a junior at Colby College, majoring in Psychology and Economics. This past May, Erin was one of a cohort of 38 undergraduate women who participated in the first ever Smith-Tuck Business Bridge Program held at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. This is her story:

I applied to the Smith-Tuck Bridge Program as opposed to the Tuck Bridge Program because of the program's focus on women’s leadership in business. Coming from a liberal arts background, I wanted a program that would allow me to gain exposure to the field of business while also having the ability to participate in an internship that summer. I knew that the program was going to be highly intensive and a lot of work, but I did not realize how rewarding the project would be at the end of the three weeks. Although in the moment it felt like there was no possible way I could be retaining all the information we were exposed to, the final project was just one indication that we really knew what we were talking about. I think the all-women environment added value to my experience because I was able to build strong bonds with women that I will hopefully be working alongside after graduation. Through team building exercises and leadership talks, I was able to understand how to be an effective woman team member and leader. Next, I plan on interning at Forge Worldwide a marketing agency in Boston over my January term, and hopefully this summer gain as valuable of an experience as Smith-Tuck Bridge was by interning for another marketing company. For me the Smith-Tuck Bridge Program was the most valuable experience I’ve had thus far and has helped me more clearly identify my career aspirations.