If Ursinus College’s first Experiential Learning Week proved anything, it’s that real-world exposure hits differently when you’re the one in the room.
For first-year student Lola MacRae, that room was Negotiation 101 — an on-campus intensive that challenged students to think strategically before speaking. Early exercises showed how easily assumptions can derail outcomes. In one mock property negotiation, her group rushed in with a strong opening offer, only to learn later that they had unknowingly surrendered leverage.
As the week progressed, simulations grew longer and more complex, culminating in a UN-style negotiation led by alumnus Paul Cottam. Cottam serves as an economic and policy officer at the British Embassy in Washington.
“I’ve always thought I want to go and become a lawyer,” Macrae said. “But hearing what (Cottam) had to say, I thought it was really cool. I could definitely consider another career option like that.”
First-year student Tomir Sawicki spent his Experiential Learning Week at Oaks financial tech company, SEI Investments. There, he gained firsthand exposure to the corporate finance world. The economics major attended presentations from staff, including a session on Ursinus’ Bloomberg Lab that sparked his interest.
He and fellow students also shadowed a director and an accountant, observing how teams manage funds and calculate expenditures while asking questions about daily responsibilities and career paths. For Sawicki, the value wasn’t just in seeing the work. It was in testing whether that environment felt like the right fit.
“I don’t think this is an opportunity that I would have if it weren’t for APEX, he said. “I wouldn’t be able to go to a workforce and see what people do on a day-to-day basis.”
Meanwhile, first-year student Fiona Sanders found herself immersed in daily life at Frederick Living senior community. Sanders didn’t just observe from the sidelines. She played bingo with residents, shadowed caregivers, and even discovered how dietitians monitor nutrition in assisted living settings. That detail resonated with her goal of becoming a registered dietitian.
What surprised Sanders most wasn’t the medical side, but the human one. The smallest interactions, whether it was a quick check-in, a shared joke, or a familiar face, clearly meant the world to residents.
Experiential Learning Week is a part of Ursinus’ APEX program, an integrated approach to preparing students for life after graduation. All three students said the week felt like a “micro-internship,” offering clarity early in their college careers. Whether negotiating policy, observing financial teams manage funds, or learning the rhythms of senior care, they walked away with something invaluable: perspective.
And for the three first-year students still charting their futures, that perspective may prove transformational.
To learn more about Experiential Learning Week and the APEX program, visit Ursinus College.
