Two time Dean's List scholar - An interview with Sebastian Ferrari

Each semester three exceptional students are named to the Dean's list for their outstanding academic achievements. In Spring 2012 Lisa Zhang, Simon Hala and Sebastian Ferrari gave what it takes to reach the top - Sebastian for his second time! We caught up with this remarkable young man to learn a bit about him and his secrets of success.

Tell us a little bit about yourself – where are you from, what’s your background, and what attracted you to MODUL University?

I was born in Italy and grew up bilingual. Concerning education, attending linguistic high schools I also learnt English and French as foreign languages. What I liked most though, were extracurricular activities such as exchange program, theatre competitions and volunteering abroad in summer for instance. MODUL University immediately caught my attention with its highly regarded educational values and the tremendous personal support ratio of 10:1!

A grade point average of 98.5% doesn’t come for free – what’s your study regimen like?

To be honest, it’s all about having the right attitude. Especially these days, the so-called “age of mediocrity”, it is really important to distinguish yourself from the crowd and having brilliant grades is one way of doing it. Besides, feeling truly privileged to study here, I also consider it a way of showing my immense gratitude to my parents. In addition to that, since the university not only offers a very interesting study program, but also gives us a great deal of opportunities to get involved in extra activities, throughout the first year I have developed a very strong commitment to it.

What advantages do you see through the English-language studies and by working with international students?

Studying in English opens the gateway to the entire world. It enables us to work in every continent and sine the number of people speaking English keeps growing exponentially, we should have an easy time communication with people from other countries in the future. On top of that, studying with people from diverse backgrounds not only makes us understand the cultural differences, but also leads us to carefully analyze and evaluate situations from various perspectives.

You’re currently in your third semester – where will you be doing your internship in the fourth semester?

My internship is going to take place in the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Brussels. I am really enthusiastic about it and am so much looking forward to it! I consider it a great opportunity not only to gain valuable work experience, but also to expand my linguistic portfolio by learning an additional foreign language; namely Dutch. Having a sweet tooth, it goes without saying that I can’t wait to taste Belgian chocolates!

What are your plans after graduation? How do you hope your BBA in Tourism and Hospitality Management will help you in your career?

After graduation I am planning to do a management trainee program to gain a holistic insight into the running of a hotel. Further, it is my goal to work for an international hotel chain, because this would give me the opportunity to work around the world and keep broadening my horizons by gaining insights into other countries’ cultures. I think the BBA program gives me the necessary theoretical foundation on which then I will be adding my own work experience.

Congratulations to Sebastian, Simon, and Lisa on their achievement!