Where in the World? MU ITC Alumni Spotlight: John Farrell

John Farrell interned with the MU ITC during the Summer 2018 semester, completing a five-week internship based in Prague, Czech Republic. He graduated from the Trulaske College of Business in May 2019 with a BS BA with an emphasis in marketing. Having fallen in love with Prague and its people, Farrell followed his heart, relocating there following graduation, seeking to leverage his marketing skills in an international setting.

Hometown: Webster Groves, Missouri

Post-MU graduation: John Farrell interned with the MU ITC during the Summer 2018 semester, completing a five-week internship based in Prague, Czech Republic. He graduated from the Trulaske College of Business in May 2019 with a BS BA with an emphasis in marketing.

Current Status: Farrell just returned to the United States in April 2024, having lived and worked in Prague, Czech Republic, for the past five years. While there, he worked for Gen Digital, a Fortune 500, global, tech security company with a family of consumer brands including Norton, Avast, LifeLock, Avira, AVG, ReputationDefender and CC-leaner. Based in Chicago for now, Farrell is exploring employment opportunities and excited to leverage the global trade experience he has in hand.

Favorite feature about living abroad: “I consider myself fortunate to have been immersed within such a diversity of culture and people in both my social and work life. I now have friends and co-workers from all over the world. The expat community in Prague is a very strong one that provides you with a home away from home connection when needed. Travel has also always been an interest of mine and living in Central Europe has afforded me great opportunities to visit a wide range of countries,” he said.

Something he missed from home: “My family, friends and ’Mexican’ food.”

Words of advice for MU ITC Interns or graduating students: “Stay present. Don’t forget to enjoy where you are and the moments you find yourself in currently. Have confidence in your abilities. You are already positioning yourself for success, so just keep doing what you are doing. Enjoy life and keep things in perspective. Work is just work and school is just school. That being said, pay attention to those who are wiser than you – leverage their knowledge and experience.”

A favored quote: Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. – Ferris Bueller (Dr. Richard Chambers)