As summer slowly wraps up, so are the adventures of studying abroad, internships, and jobs that Lonestars are participating in. Here's some insight on how some Lonestars spent their summer:
Melanie Rich, Supply Chain Management Major
Starlette Class: Fall '12
How did you spend your summer?
This summer I studied abroad in Hong Kong through the McCombs School of Business Supply Chain Management Program.
What is one thing you'll bring back with you from this experience?
From my summer experience I definitely gained perspective on a culture completely polar opposite of mine. I learned patience and acceptance, and realized how much we take for granted here in America. I met and talked with so many Chinese natives, and one man in particular even said when we asked him what is his dream, he said, "To learn better English." It was simple statements like that, that made me reevaluate what he do in our everyday lives when people in China yearn to come and experience the American Dream. I would love to travel back to China again someday, to learn even more and experience the culture even more so than I did this summer.
Kelsea Sadler, Aerospace Engineering Major
Starlette Class: Fall '12
How did you spend your summer?
I studied abroad in Vienna, Austria for a Maymester in Engineering Design & Graphics.
Favorite memory?
My favorite memory would have to be one of the first ones I made with the my classmates. The first night we got absurdly lost in Vienna. No one knew where we were or how to speak German so we wandered around and came across this hole-in-the-wall karaoke bar! FANTASTIC night. I got to sing karaoke with people I barely knew, it was a great bonding experience and definitely started our trip off on the perfect note.
Abbe Kittman, Biology Pre-Optometry Major
Starlette Class: Fall '11
How are you spending your summer?
I am spending the second half of my summer/fall semester studying
abroad on exchange at the University of Queensland in Australia.
How did you choose Australia?
I knew from my very first semester at UT that I was going to study abroad but I didn't make the decision to come here until my advisor sat me down and said I had to choose. I chose this place because who doesn't want to go to Australia?? Brisbane kind of has an Austin feel to it, which I love. This place is perfect! The coast is about an hour train ride away, the koala sanctuary (where you can hug koalas) is a short bus ride from my house, the people are so nice (can't forget their amazing accents), and the weather is fantastic.
Jessica Humphreys, Business Major
Starlette Class: Fall '12
How did you spend your summer?
I spent my summer as a creative marketing and social media intern for UMeTime, a local mobile app startup company.
What have you taken away from the your time with UMeTime?
The whole experience has been a great one. Our office environment is really unlike any other, so it's just been fun to work with all the guys and see the company grow as much as it has in just one summer. I've learned a lot about startups, marketing, and the digital world from the guys this summer, and all of this knowledge can really be applied to any position or business I work for in the future.
Carly Campbell, Corporate Communications Major
Starlette Class: Fall '12
How did you spend your summer?
I went to Barcelona with IES to study Spanish and stayed with a family for six weeks!
What is one of your fondest memories?
There's too many! One night that was especially fun was the San Juan Festival. If you go to Spain, chances are you will be in town for one festival or another (they love to celebrate!). Everyone eats cake, has bonfires, and then goes to the beach to watch fireworks and wait for the sunrise.
Matty Scott, Anthropology Major
Starlette Class: Fall '11
Where did you spend your summer?
I spent the first half of my summer in the jungles of Belize!
What made you pick Belize?
As an Anthropology major, I was able to attend Archaeology Field School in northern Belize, studying Maya archaeology and culture.
What was your best memory when looking back on your trip?
One day in the field, my fellow students and I had been working on a unit all day long (digging, polishing, brushing a hole in the ground, pretty much, that had a whole lot to do with Maya culture, but I won't bore you with the details) So we have worked on this unit for about two whole days, prepping it for a photo to be taken for further research. The time was reaching about 2:00 and we had just about an hour until we were to pack up and head back to camp... WHEN IT BEGAN TO POUR DOWN RAIN. Immediately concerned that the unit was going to flood after all of our hard work, we were instructed by our supervisor to build a wall of some kind around the unit. To protect it. In the pouring down rain. In the jungle. So, we grabbed some buckets and trudged through the pouring jungle to our clean dirt pile, and continued to run buckets back and forth through the flooded jungle to our unit. I'll never forget this moment, because after all that hard work, we decided to just have fun with it! Ex: running through the rain like we were in an action movie trying to save the world, or like giddy children playing in the rain! It was one of the funniest, most enjoyable, and refreshing times I had out in the field, and I will never forget the people, time and feelings during that surrounded me at that point. And good news! Our unit survived to live another day from our fabulous, action packed wall building adventure!
Jamie Schultz, Public Relations Major
Starlette Class: Fall '12
Where did you go this summer?
I spent the last two months on a mission trip in Africa, traveling through Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda.
What was one of your favorite memories?
Teaching English at a primary school.
What did you bring back after your trip?
I have brought back a new perspective on life!
Ming-Ming Chen, Marketing Major
Starlette Class: Fall '11
How did you spend your summer?
I started an 8-week Store Management internship for Macy's in the Galleria at Houston. This internship was to train us on becoming sales managers in the future. It was great because I was seen as a real sales manager to the associates and had to delegate tasks to my employees. During the internship, Macy's sent all of their interns on a paid 2-day business/vacation trip to Chicago to tour their second largest department store. I also learned a great deal about retail, merchandising, trends, reading/analyzing reports, and most importantly, customer service. This internship has taught me countless lessons and has really helped me build a more wholesome skill set.
What did you gain from this internship?
Like I said, the list of lessons this internship has taught me is endless, but the one thing I'll definitely carry with me for the rest of my career is how to inspire others. I learned that I really had to motivate my sales associates for them to want to work for me and to reach their goals. In order to motivate others, you have to build relationships and respect. Although I was in a manager's role, I tried to be more of a team player rather than just be seen as their boss.
Emily Parchman taught dance to special education children.
Lauren Johnson learned art history abroad in Paris, France.
Haley Carson worked Family Orientations as a Student Leader.
Kat Middlebrook worked with Texas Parents for Summer Orientations.
Olivia Migacz worked as an Orientation Advisor.
Melanie Rich, Matty Scott, Dayna Reyna, Chandler Zamarron, and Lauren Moore are counselors for Camp Texas.
Our Project Princess BBQ Fundraiser this past Tuesday was a huge success! Special thanks to Matty Scott, our Project Princess Director, and our lovely Fundraising Committee head Jessica Humphreys, for putting together such a great fundraising event. 
