When Lawrenceville, Georgia, native Samuel Santos ’26 began looking at prospective colleges four years ago, there were a few items on his non-negotiable list: He wanted to move out of state; he wanted to attend a school with a strong business program; and he wanted to be able to travel throughout his college career.

After applying to several colleges, on a whim, he decided to dig deeper into Arcadia and learned that the University checked all his boxes and more. 

“ I had heard about Arcadia one day and figured, ‘oh, why not? I’ll apply,’” he said. “After being accepted, I was invited to participate in the First-Year Study Abroad Experience in London, so I hit the ground running. [Study abroad is] what brought me here and what’s kept me here.”

Santos, an International Business and Culture major, has bookended his time at Arcadia with international experiences, as he recently returned from Finland. He was there to participate in  X-Culture Global Business Week, a prestigious professional development and learning event held this year at the University of Vaasa. 

“There are several hundred students around the world who are invited,” Santos explained. “Many of those students apply, but only a fraction are selected. We were broken down into 33 different teams and asked to work with one of six participating companies on a specific challenge. The work actually began back in June, and culminated with the week in Finland.”

Santos is on track to graduate this December. Reflecting on his experiences, he knew he wanted senior year to be a time for showing off, but not in a boastful way, more in a “you can do this too” way.

“I have hope for other people to go after what they want to do,” Santos said. “My time at Arcadia showed me that it can be done. I know it sounds cheesy, but you can live the dream.”

After graduation, Santos wants to continue working in an industry in which he’s gained experience throughout his life: hotel and hospitality management. The goal is to have a career with a large hotel company, working either with international clients or at an international location.

Whatever the future brings, Santos knows that his experiences abroad have prepared him well.