Max Klube

“Ramapo’s small class sizes and its intimate setting in Northern New Jersey made my college experience exceptional. Professors had the opportunity to answer and explore all questions in detail which led to many fruitful discussions. The setting of the school furthered my academic capabilities by providing a calm and inspiring atmosphere.

I studied abroad in Geneva, Switzerland, in the summer of 2011. As the European headquarters of the United Nations and the seat of many international organizations like the International Committee of the Red Cross and the World Trade Organization, I was able to connect what I have learned in textbooks here at Ramapo with the real world by visiting all the international organizations I had read about. I was also able to improve my skills in the French language which is one of the critical languages to know in the field of International Studies. The extra credits I earned from studying abroad made it possible for me to graduate a year ahead of time.

Shortly after graduating, I was offered a position as a Coordinator in the Customer Experience team at the corporate headquarters of Mercedes-Benz USA in Montvale, N.J. Since then I have been involved directly – and indirectly by supporting executive and senior management – in planning, launching and maintaining a number of initiatives that aim to delight the thousands of customers that interact with our brand on any given day.

You may wonder how a degree in International Studies with all the anecdotes about the United Nations and other bodies of international governance relates to focusing on the exceptional experience of some of the most demanding customers in the automotive industry? Simply put, a degree in International Studies not only provides you with the knowledge about your region of interest, but it also provides you with the ability to critically think about complex issues caused by multiple known and unknown factors. The knowledge that I gathered about the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt or the Al-Shabaab in Somalia may be of limited use in my current role; yet, the research and critical thinking skills I built while spending hours studying in libraries – in such far away places like Geneva, Switzerland – and attending Model United Nations meetings across the Eastern Seaboard are incredibly valuable in tackling the day-to-day challenges presented in the corporate offices of the top luxury automotive company in the United States.

The value of a degree in International Studies is as much in the detailed knowledge you gather about current events as it is in how you choose to approach and solve complex issues holistically in your future line of work.” — Max Klube ’12 graduated with a B.A. in International Studies and from Rutgers Business School in Newark with an MBA in 2015. Max currently works as a Dealer Data Specialist at automotiveMastermind Inc, which is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) company that helps car dealerships around the country analyze and rank their portfolio of potential customers. While at Ramapo, Max completed research for the Honors Program Thesis Prospectus on Opportunity for Change: Islamist Organizations in Egypt after Mubarak” and he studied International Studies and Multilateral Diplomacy at the School for International Training in Geneva, Switzerland in the summer of 2011. He also was a member of the International Studies Major Convening Group and the Model United Nations Club.

Program:
SIT – International Studies and Multilateral Diplomacy – Geneva, Switzerland