Bridging Language and Business for a Global Career

Avi Strohmeyer’s move into Chinese studies was a natural evolution given her love for languages. What she didn't expect at RIT was the ease of finding her people: a circle of likeminded students who share her obsession with cultural nuances and languages.

“I've had this running thread through RIT where  I'll bring up some nerdy thing expecting nobody to know it, and everyone's like, ‘yeah, of course I know that thing.’ It was like that where I don't have to explain why I'm interested in language or defend it,” explained Strohmeyer. 

During her time at RIT, she had two opportunities to study abroad. From a scholarship through the RIT College of Liberal Arts, Strohmeyer was able to go to Taiwan for two months. Additionally, an RIT manga class offered the chance to study in Japan for two weeks. 

“I'm very, very thankful I got to go on that trip because I made a lot of good connections,” shared Strohmeyer about her time abroad. 

Her proudest accomplishment while at RIT was completing a manga for a competition in Japan. For five months, Strohmeyer stretched, scanned, formatted, and digitally colored a 58-page manga. She is currently a semi-finalist in the competition and awaiting more results. 

Also, it was during her time at RIT that Strohmeyer discovered an interest in business and, subsequently, a way to combine her love for Chinese with business. Making connections with professors—many of whom were from China—was an added bonus that refined and improved her cultural understanding, a strength she’s banking on as she pursues a career in global business. 

Program(s) of Study: 

• Applied Modern Language and Culture BS, Chinese Option, with minors in Japanese and 2D Studio Arts

• Business Administration MBA, RIT Class of 2026

Study Abroad: 

• Taiwan, two months during the summer of 2024 

• Manga in Japan, an RIT Faculty-Led Short Term Study Abroad Program

Plans for After Graduation: 

• Pursuing a career in the global business sector

— Reported by Haley Fromm (‘28 BS), journalism major, photography minor, and communication MS, College of Liberal Arts Student Reporter