Shannon’s Story

by Shannon Jones

Through my time at the University of Florida, I have had the opportunity to be involved in many different clubs and organizations. I am currently an Assistant Director in Dance Marathon, a member of a Panhellenic Chapter and participate in many other clubs and organizations. However, despite being very involved and investing back in the UF community around me, I did not feel as if I was doing enough in order to prepare me for future opportunities outside of college. 

Therefore, I started looking for opportunities that would allow me the chance to improve my professional portfolio and give me more insight into my future profession. That’s when I found Beyond120.

The program offers personal development material, excursions and many other opportunities for students to expand their experiences.

I also decided to apply for the Beyond120 Spring Break excursion to London so that I would invest in myself further during a week I would normally take off. I was chosen to attend the trip with almost all of the expenses paid and the experience was one I will never forget. During our time in London, we toured different companies and spoke with UF alumni about their profession and what their experience was like while working abroad. This gave me insight as to if working abroad would be something I am interested in, as well as allowed me the chance to broaden my career horizon and be more open to different career paths. 

Upon returning home, I was inspired to revitalize my resume and start to apply for experiences outside of UF, using the skills that Beyond120 had given me. Because of this, I was chosen to be an intern for the State Department in the Near Eastern Affairs Bureau. I am thankful to Beyond120 for allowing me to confidently hand my resume to a company or internship coordinator, instead of feeling nervous about my previous experiences.