Letter to Ms. Anna

Dear Ms. Anna,

I am writing this letter to express my gratitude and appreciation for allowing me the opportunity to serve as your intern with United States Department of Commerce-International Business Trade Administration-Commercial Services. These past four months have been so exciting and I feel the skills I have learned are invaluable. You have been a phenomenal supervisor, educator, and mentor.

I must admit, there were times where I did doubt myself and work. Knowing that you were there every step of the way to encourage, guide, and assist me, made that self-doubt disappear. You had confidence in me, which is something I am very grateful for. I look forward to the day when I have interns, and I can do for them, what you have done for me.

Thank you for this amazing opportunity. I look forward to what the future holds for me and know that my time spent here at USEAC has forever changed me.

Thank you,

Shane Thompson

What I have learned...thus far.

I can not believe the semester is finally over! It feels like just yesterday that it was January. I am also shocked that I have been here at the United States Department of Commerce for four months now! Time really does fly by! I feel I have learned so much and have so much to still learn! Lucky for me I will get that chance! I was required to commit to a year when I applied. I am excited to see what the coming months have to offer and what I will learn.

Thus far, I feel some of the most important things I have learned are patience, time management, being thorough in your work, and knowing that if you want change, truly want change, you have to be the one that does it.

Working for a government agency, you learn that things take quite a long time. There is a lot of bureaucracy and red tape one must go through to complete tasks. Patience is required when working with the outdated software, helping a client apply for the necessary trade permits or even understanding the ever changing requirements.

Time Management is so very important. Here at the USEAC we are on constant deadlines to make sure clients get the necessary tools to succeed. We also host a slew of event on increasing trade all over the world, so making sure everything is planned accordingly so things go off without a hitch, is crucial. We work with many people in congress and at embassies and consulates all over the world, far more important people than myself, so being prompt and ready when either at the office or responding to their emails is important. The same goes for being thorough in your work.

Lastly, I have learned that if I want to change the world, then I must be the one who changes it. There are so many global issues I have been exposed to because of this internship, some good, some bad and it has lit a fire in me to help others, more so than usual.

I feel that I still have a lot to learn from my internship and am excited for the opportunities that await. Being here has solidified even more so that I do want a career in the public sector. I love interning here and knowing that I have hand in helping grow our global economy. To be honest, when I first started I did not think it would be something I would be so passionate about. Which just goes to show that you should always remove yourself from your comfort zone. Exposure to that which is new can be scary, but is always worth it in the end.

To my fellow classmates and bloggers, I hope your experience was just as rewarding as mine has been.

Cheers!

-S

Slow and Steady Wins the Race...

Well sometimes, anyway.

This past week at USEAC has been extremely slow, watching grass grow would have been more thrilling! All is good though, when I have downtime, which is rare, I am able to work on school stuff, and having downtime this week while at my internship has been fantastic! I have been able to study, write, and read in preparation for finals. So it really worked out in my favor. That being said, I am all but done with class this semester. Which is such a relief, until summer school of course.

I will be heading into my final semester at ASU this fall and I could not be more thrilled! The notion of being so close to the finish line is exciting and terrifying all at the same time! I can not believe it is almost here. What next you ask? Well I am hoping I ma able to land a great job. Grad school is definitely something I want to do, but I would like to take a few years off first. Get some experience under my belt. When the time comes to apply for grad school, I am throwing around the idea of either pursuing my MPA, MPP, or going to law school. Maybe my master and law! I have been looking into dual programs. The downside to a dual program, is that most are four years. Which, right now, is a pretty big pill for me to swallow.

As I said earlier, knowing I am so close to end of my undergraduate career is great! All the blood, sweat, and tears I have lost over the past few years will have accumulated into one of the most expensive pieces of paper I will ever own! ;) Expense aside, I am proud of myself for making it this far. Education is by far one of the best things a person can do for themselves. It is the one thing that can never be taken away from you, and in some odd way, I find that very comforting.

To any of my fellow bloggers that are graduating in a few weeks, congratulations and may all your wildest dreams come true!

Cheers!

-S

Birthday and Wedding Shenanigans!

I was talking to my best friend the other day and we were discussing what we should do for our birthdays. Her birthday is this month and mine is in June. A slew of ideas have been thrown around, keeping it low-key, dinner with friends and family, planning a weekend getaway, or throwing large fun parties. Every year the two of us stress out about what to do and every year, with the exception of my party last year, we are disappointed. We just set the bar too high for ourselves, and subsequently are let down.

She was just suggesting to me that I get a group of friends together and we hit up Lake Pleasant this year for mine. We would rent jet-ski's and make a day out of it. This sounds amazing, but upon looking up the cost of jet ski rentals, I just might have to pass. That being said, I have just decided that this year, I am not going to plan anything. I will just let the day lead me. If it leads me to a relaxing day filled with shopping, massages, and a nice dinner or a full day sitting in my underwear, eating junk food, and binging on Netflix and Hulu, then so be it! :)

Enough birthday talk, this morning my cousin called me from Hawaii. She and her boyfriend are there on a two week vacation, totes jealous. Turns out her beau proposed to her! Not only in Hawaii*swoon*but on top of a volcano over looking the whole island! *double swoon* I am so happy for her and am very excited to welcome him into the family! I am even more excited for the wedding, whether it is small or large, I know it will be fabulous!

So congrats my darling cousins! I love you very much! And cheers to my unknown birthday plans!

-S

USEAC Strengths

I feel that our biggest strengths at USEAC is communication. Communication with each other, the clients, embassies, consulates, and foreign business owners. Without communication our entire department would cease to exist. Communication, especially in this situation is important. Our clients rely on us to have the correct information about trade stats, as well as putting them in contact with correct foreign officials. This is extremely important, as all US businesses interested in exporting need to comply with the export laws and regulations, not only for our country, but the country they are doing business with. Just today I received an email about a US company not following the regulations and compliance, they illegally traded and have since been hit with a "small" $45,000 fine! If they continue to do business illegally they can have their trade rights suspended for at minimum year, face jail time, or be forced to close!

Pretty steep penalties. Alas, do not attempt to mess with the US government! :)

Another strength of USEAC, is that we are usually the first stop for the businesses. Trading goods and services with foreign countries, especially if you have never in the past, is a rather daunting experience. We are here to provide any information to assist the client in making the transaction as smooth as possible. So if all they are wanting is a quick questions answered, or they require a full one on one sit down explaining the process step by step, we are there to help.

Would I run a similar organization any different? I don't think so. Communication with clients is what I feel makes our organization great and is something I would do regardless. If I had to change anything,  it would be simplifying the computer programs we use. They are not user friendly at all and are extremely time consuming and tedious. by making them easier to navigate/search/perform data entry, we can increase productivity immensely. This in turn would allow for us to assist more clients and establish a more efficient rate of response.

A new driver's license for Arizona! But my current one does not expire for 42 years!

Yes, your eyes are not playing tricks on you. Arizona will finally be issuing new a license, and the first thing I noticed was the expiration date. According to the sample photo it will expire 5 years after it is issued. I could be wrong on that, although I totally am ok with it the new expiration date. Like I said my current drivers license does not expire for 42 years! 42 YEARS!!!! That is insane. ADOT says that those who are capable drivers do not need to have their license renewed every few years, hence the long expiration date. You are, however required to update your photo every 12 years. Something I was unaware of. Those with old licenses will not be required to obtain the new one until their picture needs to be replaced or it expires.

What is even more interesting is that the sample id picture has a young man on it who appears to be in his late twenties, early thirties, yet his DOB is 1957! What moron flubbed that up? AND if he really is 57 years old, please tell me what he is doing so I may look just as amazing! ;)

Lookin' good, Jelani Sample! 

I am actually quite excited for this new id, which is designed to help protect against identity theft.  I have been reading articles, seeing Facebook comments, etc. talking about the ugly design of the id, who the hell cares! It's a drivers license, not a piece of jewelry or article of clothing! If you want to complain about something ugly complain about the horrible uprising of students on campus wearing overalls! That is a REAL crime and one that is truly hideous!

Stay fashion forward, my friends!

-S

SanTan Beer now available in SoCal!!!!

One of my favorite local breweries, San Tan Brewery is expanding to Southern California! The are starting with sales in San Diego at bars, restaurants, and retail stores like BevMo and Total Wine. I am always so excited when a local company expands. The have plans to start in San Diego and work their way north up the coast towards Santa Barbara. They also hope to expand to Texas. I am not quite sure what the expansion entails. I would imagine it will just be a distribution center in the other states, so as to maintain the 'Arizona brewed' image.

I recently have become more of a beer drinker. There are so many artisan and craft beers out there! For so long I only thought it was the stuff you see at the grocery store like, Budweiser and Coors, which in my humble opinion is total crap.

There is a great ale house downtown called Angels Trumpet. They have 31 taps and every beer is something I have never heard of or tasted. What is really cool is when they run out they never replace the tap with a beer that they have had in the past, they pick a completely new brew! They are always interesting beers and great way to try new flavors and brands. If you are new to beer, I suggest you get a flight. You are given three or four 8 ounce glasses of whatever taps you like. Always a great option when trying to find your favorite beer.

Another exciting brewery on the horizon is Mother Bunch Brewing. I have never had any of their beers, but I will soon get to try! They are opening a brewery in downtown Phoenix at the historic J.B. Bayless building at 7th st. and Garfield. I am really looking forward to this opening, not only for a new craft beer joint, but another great restaurant and pub to add to the downtown scene.

So here's to craft beer and the great individuals who brew it!

Cheers!

-S

This is what I first saw when I log on to HuffPost...

55 Colleges Face Sexual Assault Investigations. Which was disturbing to say the least. So I decided to read the article, wondering if ASU is on the list, and wouldn't ya know it, they are! I should preface that this is an issue that can happen at any school, ivy or public. The article goes on the mention that this the first time US Department of Education has released such a list.

The list is to create public awareness about this huge issue that plagues college campuses all over the country. It is, in no way, a reflection on the institution itself. The article goes on to mention that if the college is still in violation after the federal investigation,  they will be required to re-write polices, require staffing changes, or at worst have their federal funding cut off.

I applaude the Department of Education on publishing this list. It is important that the public be aware of this issue. No student should go to school with the fear of being assaulted. Universities need to do more about raising awareness and informing students on the issue. 

If you want to check out the article, here is the link.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/01/college-sexual-assault_n_5247267.html

Be safe!

-S

Public Service-U.S. Commercial Service

I feel the biggest way the United States Commercial Service demonstrates public service is with the help and assistance we provide local businesses with exporting their goods and services. The services provided by USEAC affect all citizens of the USA and Arizona.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, the U.S. Commercial Service provides various services to local companies looking to export their goods for the first time or to a new country. We help businesses make the necessary contacts in the countries they are interested in so that they may increase their sales, thus stimulating the local economy and helping with potential job growth for the state. When we are able to provide them company with assistance and more often than not, success, we in turn help Arizona and the United States. By increasing United States trade all over the world, we are able to provide a huge public service to the citizens of the United States. When a business increases their trade, and is successful, they tend to grow. That growth requires more employees, larger offices,warehouses, or factories, which in turn creates more jobs.

This is the best thing about having the opportunity to intern with United States Department of Commerce. It is extremely rewarding knowing that I personally have a hand in helping a local business in expanding. My supervisor, Anna, has told me many success stories of the organizations that she has worked with. Our mission is to help these businesses/organizations succeed.

Sisters are doin' it for themselves!

I am so excited for the end of May! I have never mentioned this on my blog, but I have a very large family. It can be rather complicated to explain, but all you need to know is that at the end of May my little sister will be graduating high school and with that my sisters will be traveling back home to Phoenix for the occasion. This will be the first time, most of us will be together again in quite some time. Needless to say, I am waiting in anticipation for May 25th!

My five sisters and I(yup, five!) have been through so much together. They are the most important people in my life. I look up to all of them for different reasons and yes, I even look up to my little sister.
They have been such an incredible source of strength for me when I am at my worst. They encourage, inspire, and motivate me to be my best. I am so extremely grateful to have them in my life.

On May 28th, my little sister will be graduating high school. It feels like just yesterday she was born. Before her I was the baby of the family, I never really understood before she was born how older siblings tend to parent their younger. Now I get it. I am so proud of her on reaching this milestone and have enjoyed seeing the strong, young woman she has become.

Cheers to all those who are graduating this year! Whatever your educational achievement may be!

-S

Samantha, Brandy, Brooke, Kara and I.

My "twin" sister, Katie.

The leader is good! The leader is great! We surrender our will, as of this date!

Simpsons fans will understand my title! :)

Anywho, leadership. Leadership plays a very big role in my internship. At my particular office there is a total of five people. My supervisor Anna, her counterpart Sally, two other interns and myself. We have two there offices in the state, one in downtown Phoenix and the other in Tucson. That being said because our office is so small, we, the interns, are given the responsibility to somewhat manage ourselves. We all three work very well together, but it is rarely in person.

My fellow interns will be leaving at the end of May, which will make me the senior intern at my office. It will be my responsibility to train the new interns. I was recently included in the hiring process of the two new interns. This was an excellent way for me to display my leadership capabilities to my supervisor. Anna gave me full control over the project. I sent emails out to ASU and had the internship description posted to the career services website. All applicants were required to email me directly. I then read through all the resumes and chose those whom were the best qualified for the position. I then contacted all the prospective candidates and set up interviews. Anna and I personally interviewed the top five applicants. She was very impressed with how I set up the interviews and handled the whole process.

My supervisor displays leadership in a number of ways, but one of the biggest displays, I feel, is her ability to delegate to the interns. Anna is responsible for a wide array of portfolios for international trade. By properly delegating tasks to us she is able to serve a very diverse clientele. With her delegation though, she is relying on us to take the initiative to get said tasks done.

Another way, we, as a department display leadership is in the way we represent the United States and the Department of Commerce. For many businesses we are the very first US representative they work with. By making sure we are prompt and professional in how we conduct business, we are able to assist the client in whatever their export needs maybe, and provide them with a sense of security in knowing that we have their back. Which for me is the best way for us to display leadership.

Oh, hey there Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema and Secretary Pritzker!

The other day I had the pleasure of meeting Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema in my Public Leadership class. She was our guest speaker for the day, and one helluva woman! I was a bit starstruck! I know, I am a nerd. She spoke to us on leadership and how she applies it to working in our extremely divided Congress. It was rather interesting getting to here, first hand, from someone who has a front-row seat at the capitol.

That was on a Tuesday and the very next day I went to my internship, and wouldn't you know it, I got to meet her again!!! Twice in one week! I was on cloud nine all week long!! she spoke at our Arizona District Export Council meeting about the importance of trade and what she wants to do in D.C. to help Arizona increase trade with other countries.

Just last week the Secretary of the Department of Commerce, Penny Pritzker, was in Arizona. She was touring SkySong. My internship is located at SkySong and she stopped by our offices!  For a political junkie, like myself, getting the opportunity to meet elected and appointed officials is amazing!

First Kyrsten Sinema, then Secretary Pritzker!  Who will be next?!?! The Clintons!! Hey, I can dream! ;)

-S

Coffee Talk with the Lovely Ms. Anna

My supervisor at the USEAC(United States Export Assistance Center) is the amazing Ms. Anna. Anna is a Senior International Trade Specialist with U.S. Commercial Service. She received her B.S. in Economics from the University of Arizona. Before joining the US Department of Commerce she worked for the US State Departments Economic Bureau in Washington D.C. where she helped negotiated free trade agreements with the United Arab Emirates and South Korea.  She is a very talented musician and artist, speaks both french and Spanish, and has traveled the world extensively.

Needless to say, she's quite impressive!

I had the pleasure to sit with Anna and chat about her position, her thoughts on leadership, and any advice she has for someone looking to break into her line of work.

Anna's main responsibilities are to act as a liaison for local businesses that are looking to export their goods and services. She provides them with all the information one may need on how they legally can export from the United States. Not only are the companies responsible of the US end, but they have to make sure everything is legal with the country they are exporting to as well. As Anna says, the USEAC are the 'boots on the ground', the 'first responders' to promote trade.

Anna and her colleagues set up trade missions all over the world. The purpose of the missions are to provide US companies with an opportunity to visit a foreign country, meet local officials, embassy and consulate staff, and make connections with local business owners abroad. The missions are a great way for US companies to find distributors of their products and services. Currently she is working on a trade mission to Mexico.

Anna has been working with the US Department of Commerce for twelve years now. She told me that she loves her job. It provides a great sense of satisfaction because she gets to have a hand in helping increase trade for the United States, provide jobs, and boost the economy. Since she helps local companies mostly, it is also grab to not only be introduced to who and what is in the area, but see them grow and succeed.

I asked her about how does one keep up with all the new laws and agreements countries have when it comes to trade, she said that it can be quite daunting, but that is why it is so important to always be informed about the world at large and to have great interns that can help assist her! :)

I asked her to define leadership/a leader and how she applies it to her life. She defined it leadership as being able to see what needs to be done and doing it. A good leader is a person who sees the problem before it occurs. A good leader is someone who is there to assist those they lead, they do not force or micro-manage. The provide guidance, support, and encouragement. A leader is a person who recognizes when it is time to do what is right versus what is easy.

I really like that. Doing what is right versus what is easy. I think people are so accustomed to taking the  easy path over the difficult, even if the easy path is the wrong path.

When asked what one should do to enter her line of work, she said one the best things a person can do is travel! See how people live in other countries. Learn their customs and how things work. Having that knowledge is so powerful and helpful, especially when doing business globally.

I think her career and position is extremely fascinating and absolutely one I would love to have. Like her, getting to increase trade for the country and creating jobs for Americans is a wonderful thing and something I would love to be apart of.

Pre-Law/Pre-Med Information Session

I went to the Pre-law and Pre-med Information Session for my Career service exercise. I would eventually like to to apply to law school, so I thought this was a great opportunity to learn more about the application process.

I have to say it was not all that informative. I already knew most of the information. If anything it was a bit anxiety inducing. The advisor lead the session mentioned how most law students graduate with close to $250,000 of student loans/debt and only land jobs with a starting salary of roughly 60k!

I understand that with a law degree I will have increased my earning ability ten fold, but a quarter of a million dollars of debt, on top of my existing student loans from my undergrad! Its enough to give me a heart attack!  Whats even more crazy, is with all that, law school is still, if not ever more, a dream of mine.

So heres to Sallie Mae forever owning my soul! :)

Cheers!

-S

H-A-L-L-O-W-E-E-N spells Halloween! Wait? What?

So the other day I was enjoying a drink with my BFF at Lux. If you have not been to Lux, you are truly missing out. It is one my favorite haunts. I highly recommend stopping by.

We were discussing our options for Halloween 2014. But Shane, do you not think it is a bit early to be planning for Halloween? To which I  reply with, it is NEVER too early to be planning for Halloween. I usually begin planning, on November 1st. YUPPP!!! The day after. That way it gives me the most amount of time to think of the best costume ever! I take Halloween pretty serious.

I'm not your 'Costume from a bag' kinda guy. I enjoy building my costume piece by piece. I try to make it as authentic as possible. Ya it can get costly, but I find it always makes a huge splash when I step out of the house and hit the town! I will admit it is getting pretty hard to come up with a super sweet costume every year. All the more reason it is critical I begin planning in advance.

V  informed me that Halloween this year lands on a Friday! Which means things will be crazy! Holidays in general are always best when they land on the weekends. Not only are more people willing to cut loose, but then you have two days to fully recover. ;) Besides dressing up, it is also exciting going out and seeing others who are just as done up or over the top.

If you are a fan of the holiday, good luck with your costumes and here is to an extremely early, Happy Halloween!

 Jareth, the Goblin King. From the classic David Bowie film, Labyrinth. Halloween 2011.

 JFK and Jackie. Halloween 2012.

Two unlucky souls aboard the Titanic and one First Class passenger. Halloween 2013

Back log!

First and foremost I would like to apologize to my fellow classmates. I have done a rather poor job at keeping up with my posts. My life has been rather chaotic lately and to be 100% honest, this has been a rather trying year for me.

Lets see, where to start since my last post? Well my internship is going great and keeping me super busy. I have also been working quite a bit.  Unfortunately for me, I do not get paid at my internship, so a full time job is required. Gotta make those Benjamin's! ;) Like most of you, I have been working and studying diligently for my upcoming finals. I so do look forward to the end of the semester, even with summer school approaching. It's always nice to have another full semester done! Just one step closer to the illusive diploma!

For a returning student, like myself, school feels as if it is taking forever and a day to complete. That being said, I am glad I did not attend college when I was 18. I had no idea what I wanted to study. I know so many people who say that if they had it to do over they would not have picked the degree they did. When I was 18, I was all over the place. Now at 26, I am more focused. Focused on what I want for my life, not to say I don't have days of doubt, but I feel as if I have a better sense of direction.

Hope all is well with my fellow bloggers! Until next time!

-S

Finally! A crosswalk to call my own!

On a much lighter note, how many of my other fellow downtown classmates have seen the new crosswalk the city painted at the corner of 2nd street and Fillmore? If you haven't I highly suggest you stroll on over and happily skip across! Back and forth, back and forth! Just two weeks ago that crosswalk did not exist! And people like me would, Ahem!jaywalk.Ahem! across Fillmore Avenue to make it to the Nursing and Health Innovation buildings for class twice a week.  Now I can casually promenade across, looking both ways first mind you, without fear of being mowed down by our crazed motorists, sort of. It's the little things in life, ya know? :D

I have also noticed the green bike lanes that line the eastbound side of Fillmore from 1st street to what looks like 7th st. New bike lanes are always exciting! Not quite sure how they will work since they are painted directly over a regular eastbound lane, but theres only one way to find out! The green lanes pair well with the new green bicycles from the Phoenix bike share program, Grid. Super stoked for that one!  I have yet to utilize Grid but since my bike was recently stolen, I just might see what they have to offer.

I am proud to live in downtown Phoenix and that the city is working on approving current public transit options, as well as creating new ones. That is one of the many reasons I chose to live here. For the valley, it is one of the most diverse and walkable/bikeable areas. Even though I own a car, it is important to me to support and live in an area that supports my way of living. Not to mention I absouletly hate driving! So if I have the option of walking, taking the light rail/bus, biking, roller skating, being carried on someones shoulders, or attempting to ride my dog, then I will do it!!!

So get out there, support public transit AND reduce your carbon footprint! What have got to lose besides weight? ;)

Safe travels!

-S

All Protected Classes say HEYYYY!!!! Not you LGBTQ Arizonans!

SB 1062. We as Arizonans have had this bill shoved down our throats for the past week, and  now I am going to really make you vom by discussing it even more. What can I say? First, I am thrilled that the governor has decided to veto this bill. It was the ill conceived and poorly constructed brainchild of one, Ms. Cathi Herrod and the Center for Arizona Policy who has been successfully strong-arming the Arizona legislature in passing their asinine bills all of for the sake of their Christian beliefs. I am not saying I have any issues, well major issues, with Christians. That is the exact opposite, I consider myself a Christian. My issue with Center of Arizona Policy is this…according to their website one of their fundamental beliefs, as stated in their mission statement, is to help "…create an Arizona where religious liberty is affirmed and protected, free from government interference."1 FREE FROM GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE! Correct me if I am wrong, but if that is your mission statement then why would you insert yourself into government business and interfere yourself? I see now, when it's something you want or think you are entitled to then it is perfectly ok for you to turn a blind eye to your own beliefs. That's not hypocritical or un-Christian at all.

Beside the obvious and blatant discrimination it would have allowed toward people of all facets of life, it raises an even bigger question for our great state, that those of different sexual orientations are STILL allowed to be discriminated against legally. Any business is allowed to refuse service to LGBTQ individuals based solely on that alone.  There are only three cities in Arizona that have ordinances protecting LGBTQ folks, Phoenix, Tucson, and Flagstaff. It is high time the state recognizes that their are LGBTQ people who reside outside these cities, LOTS who reside outside these cities, and deserve fair and equally treatment. Arizona has allowed its reputation and image to be dragged through the mud one too many times. Now is the time for us to show the country and world that we are accepting of people of all backgrounds, gender, class, race, sexual orientation, and religion and put these silly notions to rest. Sure there are those who say, well this would just be a stepping stone for things like marriage equality, etc. And to that I will say, if you don't like gay marriage, then don't get gay married. You ask the government to stay out and not interfere in your life and beliefs, well I ask you to stay out of mine! The country is changing and changing fast, Arizona. Lets keep ahead of the curve this time and not allow for yet another embarrassing, racist, discriminatory scandal to sully the Grand Canyon State.

That's all, I will get off my soapbox now.

Peace and Love,

-S

Another day, another dollar! Wait, I'm not getting paid for this!

That's ok though! :) Today was a fun and exciting day for us at the US Commercial Service.

When I got in I found out a 'new' company had contacted us. I use quotes because they are not new in the sense of being a new company, but today was the first day I have heard about them. The company in question is called Gemstone Tile, LLC.  They are based out of Kingman, Arizona and make handcrafted turquoise tile for home decor. They mine the turquoise from the Kingman mine. Which surprisingly is the last commercial turquoise mine in  North America. Something I had no idea about! That being said they do beautiful work! I highly suggest everyone checking them out! Especially if you are looking for a beautiful, cool alternative to tile work.

So back to what they were looking for. Gemstone Tile contacted us, for the same reasons most companies do. They are looking to expand their company exports. Currently, they export to the United Kingdom, Dubai, and Bahrain.  Their email stated that  they are looking to export to China. My job was to begin compiling market research on the Chinese luxury market, as well as a list of the top countries the United States and the state of Arizona export gemstones, stone, natural tiles, and there mineral based tile. When we look up the trade statistics for the country and state exports based off whatever the product of the company is I am always so surprised to see who the top countries might be. We have various ways of displaying the data in terms on units exported, weight, size, or monetary value. We usually compile the data and convert it to US dollar amounts to show our clients just how much the US and state export. It is always more then one thinks!

While conducting my research I found out that Chinese consumers spend more on luxury goods than any other country.  AND by 2015 they will account for 20% or $27 billion of the global luxury sales!  This goes for everything from designer clothes to private planes and yachts! Needless to say I feel that Gemstone Tile is making a smart move wanting to export to China seeing as how their prices start at $645 per square foot and go as high as $2000 per square foot! Which is by far one of the most expensive tile companies in the world.

Today, we spoke with Gemstone Tile and they informed us that they will be attending the Luxury China trade show in Beijing. This is Luxury China's third year of having the trade show. They will have over 300 companies from twenty countries showcasing their high-end goods and services. While assisting them with the proper ways of starting business with the Chinese, we were able to inform them of a huge project the US Commercial Service here in Arizona is working on. Beyond the Border: Arizona Trade Mission to Mexico City and Guadalajara is set for May 2014 and will give Arizona companies the opportunity to meet customers, buyers, distributors, and local business leaders who would be interested in buying and carrying their products. Mexico City is one of the top cities in the world for millionaires and billionaires. Gemstone Tile, was thrilled to here this and signed up on the stop! Which was something none of us thought they would do. So we were all very excited about that.

It all sounds a bit silly when I re-read this, but I find it exciting that I get to be apart of helping local companies expand their business.Which is not only goo for them, but USA as a whole. It helps stimulate the local economy, United States economy, creates jobs, and build better relationships with other countries with trade.  I am looking forward to our continued relationship with Gemstone Tile and whatever new Arizona companies looking to expand into the global market.

Fun Fact: Turquoise is the official gemstone of the state of Arizona!

Cheers!

-S

International Trade Administration-United States Commercial Serivce

Howdy y'all! It's been a crazy couple of weeks for me. Since school and my internship started I have been non-stop! No complaints though, I'd much rather be insanely busy than sitting at home bored. That being said let me give you an introduction about my internship with the United States Department of Commerce.

Within the USDOC there is the International Trade Administration. The job of the ITA is to strengthen and promote free trade for the United States around the globe. The US Commercial Service is a subset of ITA, and that is where I am. So if you were to look at it like a family tree, the US Department of Commerce would be the grandparents, International Trade Administration would be the parents, and Commercial Service would be ITA's child. That being said US Commercial Service assists US companies with foreign buyers across the globe in the exporting of US goods and promotion of US jobs. The US Commercial Service is located in over 160 cities across the world. We work with United States Embassies and Consulates in over 80 countries to help US companies compete in the global market.

As an intern, I assist the International Trade Specialists in my office. I have an array of duties. Just to name a few activities that I have done thus far throughout my time there include:

• Research in policy and regulatory issues in global markets
• Research and analysis on commercial markets throughout the globe
• Accompany trade specialists to meetings with local business owners interested in exporting their goods
• Database management

That's just a sliver of what I do and will be doing during my time as an intern. There is a lot for me to learn and I look forward to the coming weeks.

Introduction and Internship Goals

Hello there! My name is Shane Thompson and I am a senior at ASU. I plan on graduating in December 2014, if all goes to plan and  I am working on my BS in Urban and Metropolitan Studies. I was lucky enough to secure an internship with United States Department of Commerce-International Business Trade Administration. I am very excited for this opportunity and look forward to the next two semesters as an intern.

The three goals I hope to achieve throughout the course of my internship are:

1. Learn in detail the in's and outs of IBT and how they promote local business exportation and job growth.

2. Build my professional network with city and state officials.

3. To see if a career within the public sector is ultimately what I want for myself.

I should probably explain that last goal. being a public servant has always been a dream of mine ever since I was a child. Now that I am nearing the end of my education and possibly entering this line of work, I find myself questioning if it is something I truly want. I know, like any job, there is the good, the bad, and the ugly. I am hoping that this internship will give me a well rounded experience in how just one of our government agencies work.