Megan Nugent

Endicott Leads to Worldwide Opportunities

Megan Nugent had a rough idea of what she wanted to do after her senior year of high school, but a four-year commitment to an undergraduate program wasn’t it. Instead, she chose Endicott to pursue an Associate in Science in Business, which led to opportunities throughout the world.

"My experience was awesome. I fell in love with my program,” Nugent said. “In the first semester, I definitely knew I was in the right place. I became very close with my professors."

The oceanfront Endicott Gloucester location provided Nugent with small classes and personal advising, with the added perk of having access to the main Beverly campus.

Before Nugent graduated with her associate’s degree in 2016, she joined a faculty-led trip to Switzerland. She visited Les Roches, a world-renowned hospitality school, as part of the trip; and she returned there in Spring 2017 for a semester abroad after transferring to the Beverly campus to pursue a Bachelor of Science in International Business.

She was introduced to the United Nation’s World Food Programme while attending an international career fair in Switzerland. She felt an instant connection, and she decided to pursue internships at nonprofits and organizations that work on the ground.

She knew the competition would be fierce, so she pursued other internship opportunities as well, landing a position with the Kerry Hotel in Hong Kong to gain more international experience and connections. Then fate intervened.

“Two weeks before I was leaving for Hong Kong, my internship coordinator at the Beverly campus sent me information on a position in Peru with Alliance for a Sustainable Amazon,” Nugent said. “I immediately decided to apply and was accepted.”

She notes that she has gained invaluable experience in fieldwork, organic agriculture, and conservation in Peru, due in part to her time spent at Endicott Gloucester.