About Erin Quigg
Program/concentration and graduation year at GWU: International Affairs, Concentration: International Economics, Class of 2009
Current Affiliation and Title: ConferenceDirect, Project Management Associate
Erin’s Testimonial about Dr. Helm
While attending the George Washington University I was an undergraduate student in the Elliott School of International Affairs, with a concentration in International Economics. Professor Helm was my instructor for Intro to International Business (WID) and International Business Marketing Management, in the Fall of 2007 and in the Spring of 2008. After completing my courses with Anna, she continued to mentor me and engage me in the field of International Business through my graduation in the Spring of 2009 and into the present.
While at George Washington, I found Anna to be a professor who was extremely knowledgeable on topics in International Business and extremely passionate about her work. Her passion and dedication inspired me to develop a deeper interest in the field of International Business and promoted me to take more courses in the field. Being a student in the Elliott School of International Affairs I had not previously taken business classes. After completing Intro to International Business taught by Anna, I became highly engaged in international business subjects. I went on to take several business classes, including International Business Marketing Management.
I found Anna’s classes to be challenging but at the same time interesting and relevant to real world professional life. Currently, I am a grant-writer and fundraising associate at a non-profit organization in Washington, DC. Many of the skills I use in my current work I acquired or polished during the courses taught by Professor Helm. During her classes I was able to fine-tune my presentation skills through several class presentations that required students to present business articles or present our semester long projects. In addition, business case write-ups, reports, and our extensive course projects enabled me to learn the appropriate ways to get my message across in a clear, concise format – which is essential in the professional world.
While Professor Helm’s course curriculum were challenging, she provided students with the outmost support and feedback during every step of the semester. In International Business Marketing Management, the semester long project required groups to prepare a plan for different businesses to enter to new, international markets. This project had a process-oriented focus, where students tied together course topics that were discussed regularly during lectures while also expanding on important subjects. It required students to do in depth research about the company while also learning about the cultural aspects of the country we were going to enter. Professor Helm was very supportive to students during this process. After turning in our first draft, Anna provided specific and constructive feedback on all projects. In addition, she was available outside of classroom hours and was always prompt to respond to emails.
Professor Helm would be an immense asset to any university. She brings a unique international perspective to her classes. Her professional and real life experiences with cross-cultural business practices and her knowledge on these matters expertly illuminates issues in the International Business world. Through class led discussions and lectures, Anna was able to inspire me to think about subjects in a new and interesting ways. Her enthusiasm towards the subjects discussed in class, in addition to her genuine interest in the students and their progress demonstrated to me her indisputable joy of teaching. Professor Helm’s passion and enthusiasm, as well as her ability to engage me in the courses she taught, motivated me to nominate her as professor of the year at George Washington. Being a Varsity athlete at GWU, I had the privilege to introduce and honor Professor Helm during a Men’s Varsity Basketball game in the Spring of 2008 during a Staff Appreciation game.
I can say with confidence that Professor Anna Helm would be enormous asset the International Business department at the George Washington University.
