Gonzalo Adriazola posing with large sign on himself

FORMER Ohio State Marion student, business major Gonzalo Adriazola was recently featured in Que Pasa, OSU, Ohio State's Magazine for Latino Scholarship and Community, discussing his selection into the Ohio Export Internship Program

Written by Gonzalo Adriazola, Undergrad, Fisher College of Business

My name is Gonzalo Adriazola and I am a third year student at The Ohio State University working towards a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a dual specialization in Marketing and International Business. Last semester, I was selected to participate in The Ohio Export Internship Program, a collaborative venture between the Fisher College of Business and the State of Ohio to train selected students to consult for companies with an interest in expanding their market internationally through a semester-long export-focused course taught by industry professionals.

Through the Internship Program, I was matched with U.S. Bridge, a company based in Cambridge, Ohio that designs, engineers, and manufactures steel bridges. The company has a history of over 60 years and is considered to be “the most trusted name in bridges,” with thousands of completed projects locally and internationally.

As an International Marketing/Export consultant for U.S. Bridge I conduct international market research with a focus on South America; identify and contact private and public entities in South America to further our export efforts; represent the company in trade shows, international conferences, and networking events; maintain valuable contacts locally and Internationally; and utilize multiple export assistance resources from the state and federal governments.

The peak of my experience has been to represent my company in Trade Winds the Americas, a weeklong international conference in Bogotá, Colombia organized by the U.S. Commercial Service. During the conference I furthered my knowledge of exports through seminars, workshops and interactive panels featuring top industry talents. I networked and shared my passion for exports with individuals representing over 300 companies while making important connections for my company to such organizations as U.S. Ambassadors and Senior Commercial Officers throughout South America.

My greatest accomplishment has been to bring my company closer to Latin American markets by developing important relationships with key players in our industry and by increasing awareness of our products overseas. As a result, we are in the beginning stages of establishing partnerships in Perú and El Salvador, and we have delivered several technical proposals for projects in Colombia, Perú, and Chile.

The Ohio Export Internship Program was awarded the 2014 International Program Excellence Award by the National Association of Small Business International Trade Educators (NASBITE) and it has certainly earned this accolade. On a professional level, the network, experience, and skills that I have built represent valuable assets for me in any future career. On a personal level, the confidence that I have gained by demonstrating my capabilities inside and outside the classroom has also provided me with a one-in-a-million experience of international business. I wholeheartedly endorse this program as an incredible opportunity for students of business and especially those who are interested in exports.