Alumni:
ADMINISTRATORS <<CLICK HERE>> to enter the alumni database.
The Foreign Languages and Bilingual Studies Department welcomes information from its alumni for various purposes. If you are one of the alumni of Foreign Languages and Bilingual Studies at EMU, kindly take a moment to write to us about you, your present address, the year you graduated and how the education at EMU has helped you in your career etc. Also, please let us know if you would like your information posted as below.
Blarie Houchens Miller
'83 Alumna, LIT B.B.A.
SVP-Intl. Corp. Banking
Standard Federal/ABN AMRO
- Why EMU? Blaire learned of the newly-formed LIT Program during her AFS foreign exchange experience in Belgrade, Yugoslavia in 1977-78. Upon her return, she worked with Dr. John Hubbard, Dept. Head of Foreign Languages to secure scholarship and work/study opportunities in order to cover her college expenses (100% self-financed).
- EMU Program (1979-1982): Blaire was the pioneer of our double-major LIT and Business Program. She sought an international business entry level position and wanted to increase the business study component in conjunction with the attractive LIT business language, history/political studies, and foreign internship components.
- Most Interesting Coursework: European history, geo-political coursework and a summer EMU European studies program in Europe and Middle East.
- LIT Internship: German Management Trainee at Daimler-Benz AG, Stuttgart, Germany (parent of Daimler-Chrysler). She worked for 18 months as an intern, rotating every 2 months into a different dept., including domestic sales analysis, global exhibitions, Middle East exports, African dealerships, and Far East plant expansions. All business was performed in German, which became very fluent after a number of months.
- Value of EMU: Blaire found her small class size and hands-on involvement of “real” professors a productive learning environment. Many of her professors became true mentors, providing referrals and scholarship/job recommendations for many years. Her first banking position was a result of a referral from Dr. Ray Schaub, former Director of the World College upon her return from Germany in 1983.
- Value of LIT/BBA Degree: Finding the first international career position is very challenging. Blaire's coursework and grades, fluency in various languages, and overseas study and work experience differentiated her from other candidates.
- Career Experience: With more than 20 years of international banking experience, Blaire heads a division of seasoned bankers who manage banking relationships for foreign-owned companies operating in the U.S. She travels cross-border to coordinate their credit and non-credit requirements with their parent organizations. Blaire finds her LIT foundation of language, history, political science, music and art to be frequent conversation material as she builds credibility and trust with her new and longstanding global clients. "My business classes and overseas work experience helped me secure my first position; but it is the LIT coursework that I still actively draw upon to be a good communicator and build strong client relationships." She appreciates the caliber of EMU LIT students that she has recruited for her banking organizations over the past 20 years. Their resumes continue to demonstrate unique learning experiences that are invaluable in the business world.
^ Top