Major: Business Administration — International Business and Finance Concentration
Major: Business Administration — International Business and Finance Concentration
Two hours before the application deadline at Towson several years ago, Crystal Waller
submitted her completed paperwork. Since then, doors at home and abroad haven’t stopped
opening for Waller.
Her love of travel led Waller to participate in three international opportunities.
“Each study abroad trip helped shape my academic decisions,” Waller says. In January 2014, she traveled
to Bordeaux, France, for a three-week field study of the marketing of wine.
The summer of 2014, she participated in an intensive Chinese language study abroad
program in Beijing. “It was a very humbling experience because going into it I was
very confident about my ability to speak Chinese until I landed and tried to resolve
a cell phone problem on my own,” recounts Waller.
In Beijing, she spent every day in Chinese language class with other international
students at the Beijing Language and Culture Institute. “Our teachers did not speak
English, so we were forced to speak the language,” explains Waller. After bombing
on the first test, she received the second highest grade in the class for the summer
session. “It is amazing that my language improved that fast,” says Waller. “It was
also great to make the connections and scout places where I would like to live in
China.” Most recently, she spent a semester abroad in Queensland, Australia, taking
courses at Griffith University.
“ Each study abroad trip helped shape my academic decisions. ”
On the Towson campus Waller has been a student consultant for the College of Business and Economics. Waller led panel discussions, worked at
open houses and attended nearly all events involving prospective students. She also
served as community service chair for Alpha Kappa Psi, the oldest and largest business fraternity in the world, helping them reach their
goal of more than 250 hours of community service during that semester. Among her most
memorable service activities: “Every Wednesday morning, I served breakfast at Our
Daily Bread. People are so thankful. They have so much gratitude for the simplest
gestures.”