Around the world in thirty days? Carolee Corbett checked that one off her bucketlist.
Visiting the Tower of London, seeing the Acropolis in Greece, riding elephants in Thailand and exploring the Great Wall of China—this past summer Corbett experienced all this and more with the Global Business Abroad program as assistant director. Traveling the world was something she didn’t imagine she’d ever get to experience.
“I always wanted to travel,” she says. “But, then life happens and as you move forward it’s not really on the schedule.”
Corbett is the department administrator for the global marketing and supply chain department at the Marriott School, a position she accepted five years ago. Corbett attended BYU as a pre-dental student, and years later found herself needing to enter the workplace. She had long hoped to return to the BYU campus someday and jumped at the opportunity to do so when it came.
“I always wanted to work here,” she says. “I thought it would be a great environment and have a wonderful atmosphere to work in and it is. It’s funny how things work out.”
As department administrator she keeps things organized by managing events, updating budgets, keeping timesheets accurate, scheduling board meetings, and coordinating travel for faculty and students.
When Scott Webb, global supply chain professor and director of the Global Business study abroad, approached her last year about helping organize the trip, she happily agreed.
“I accepted that offer with both arms wide open,” she remembers. “I thought it was a great opportunity and so we just began to plan together what we wanted to do with the kids.”
Corbett kept the trip organized by coordinating flights, hotel stays and scheduling. Outside of experiencing and learning about new cultures, her favorite part was the relationships built along the way.
“It’s getting to know everyone,” she says. “You come away with a bond that you’ll share forever when you’re with people in those kind of situations abroad, not knowing exactly what’s ahead because no one’s been on the journey before.”
In October of 2014 Corbett married her husband, Dennis, who accompanied her around the world. The couple called it their “study abroad honeymoon.”
Corbett has already begun organizing next summer’s trip, which will include travel to Japan, China, New Zealand, and Australia.