In the spotlight

Pulse caught up with international alumnus Sam Kreps, to find out how his MA Business and Management degree has helped him go onto a successful career.

My Hope experience has hands down been one of the biggest influences in shaping me into the person I am today. That’s cliché, but it’s true, and one of the main reasons is because I was an American living in England. I tried my best to work hard, but also enjoy my experience in a different academic setting. The Hope staff/faculty cared for me and were always available to talk, whether it was about a class assignment or how I was enjoying Liverpool, which gave me that extra motivation to do well in class.

Learning with students and staff from different cultures was also a great experience for me. I never got that experience when I was studying at undergraduate level. Learning about cultures is one of the most interesting things for me to do and I got to do that every day at Hope.

The International Team did an outstanding job in ensuring I was enjoying my time at Hope. Whether that was the field trip to Wales or hosting an international festival. They did a great job of having all of the international students interact with each other, as they knew many of us were in similar situations.

The Big Hope 2 in 2018 was one of the many highlights. Once again, interacting with people from all over the world was such a joy. Whether we were watching the FIFA World Cup or listening to guest speakers, there was always a smile on my face. I still talk to people I met at Big Hope 2 to this day.

I studied the social impact of sport - with an emphasis on Everton in the Community - for my dissertation, and was fortunate to work closely with Dr Clay Gransden, who has done some incredible work in this area.

My experience at Hope has definitely helped with my career. I was hired as a Sales Development Specialist at Terryberry just one month after I returned to the USA, and just shy of one year into my time at the company I was promoted to Customer Success Manager - where I am still today.

Hope taught me how to problem solve real-life issues and problem solving has been such a key part of my roles at Terryberry. Speaking with customers and prospects can be a challenge at times and Hope taught me how to solve problems quickly. Hope did this by instilling confidence in me when it was lacking.

While at the University, I was also given the opportunity to work at Alternative Futures Group where I got vital experience in learning how such large charities operate. Once again, I was working closely with people from different cultures, and this was important for me as I hope to eventually move into more of an international role with my current employer.

I hope to return to the UK permanently and my goal is to work with young people trying to find their way in life. Hope and Liverpool have provided so much to me in such a short amount of time, and I feel like it’s my duty to give back to the University and city. I want to thank everyone I met during my time at Hope, everyone played a role in making my experience what it was and I can’t thank them enough.