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Where in the World is Miami Wednesday: Digital Innovation

Kyle poses near the Golden Gate bridge

Name: Kyle McCorvey

Year: Senior

Major: Interactive Media Studies

Minors: Marketing, Digital Innovation

Education Abroad Program: Digital Innovation Fellowship (Currently San Francisco)

Editor's Note: The Digital Innovation program offers experiential study abroad and away opportunities in Cincinnati, Luxembourg, and San Francisco. This week we hear from a student who completed internships in all three locations as part of the Digital Innovation Fellowship!


In this week's Where in the World is Miami Wednesday, we meet Kyle McCorvey, a senior Interactive Media Studies major with minors in Marketing and Digital Innovation, who is studying away at Miami's Digital Innovation Center in San Francisco this semester.

What organizations are you involved with at Miami?

The Digital Innovation Fellowship has taken me off campus for the past three semesters. However, while I was abroad in Luxembourg, the Multicultural Business Association (MBA) had all meetings online. I would stay awake until midnight for the club meetings because I was six hours ahead, but it always felt refreshing to connect with friends back home.

How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect your experience?

Kyle taking a photo

I confirmed my participation in this four-semester-long Digital Innovation fellowship in February of 2020. COVID-19 changed every aspect of this process, but I couldn't be happier with how it all turned out. Yes, it made some things harder, but now I do those same things with ease. Yes, I didn't get to do everything that previous cohorts had done before me, but the things I got to do were unique because of COVID-19. The number of tourists in Europe was at an all-time low. With our Luxembourg student visas, we were traveling with significantly fewer restrictions than most Americans. One of my favorite memories is traveling to Rome the weekend before the entire country of Italy went on lockdown. Landmarks usually crowded with thousands of people were pretty much empty. It allowed us to appreciate their beauty in a completely new way.

On Fridays, my class has company visits with notable companies around each respective location. The representatives from the companies are often alumni or have a connection to the Miami community. Additionally, throughout the semester, we complete a capstone project, have assignments to network with four people a month, attend one networking event a month. In Luxembourg, we also competed (and won) at an international pitch competition hosted by the University of Luxembourg.

Why did you choose your study abroad program?

Kyle poses in front of a fountain

Freshman and sophomore year I would go to every career fair, eager for internships. However, every recruiter would give me the same response: "We are looking for someone with experience," and "We are looking for Juniors and Seniors." I would ask myself, "How can I get experience if nobody is taking a chance on me?"

When I found about the Digital Innovation Fellowship, it seemed too good to be true. I got real work experience and was able to travel the world while completing my undergraduate studies.

What are you studying in your program?

Instead of going to class, I worked four days a week at my internships. In Cincinnati, I interned at Curiosity, a creative advertising agency. In Luxembourg, I worked with a French graphic and print designer. I was the third employee at her start-up and did everything from magazine design to social media strategy. Currently, in San Francisco, I am working for 1809 Capital, a venture fund focused on connecting the Miami University alumni community.

What are the coolest places you visited so far on your program?

Kyle near a cathedral in Europe

My first location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati may not sound like the place you go to for world discovery, but for me, this was adult life on training wheels. I lived right across the street from Washington Park and in the heart of OTR. After getting comfortable with the college town life, it was nice to taste the real world.

My second location: Differdange, Luxembourg
I had zero knowledge of Luxembourg, but I now recommend this location to everyone. Luxembourg is so central to so many European countries that a three-hour train ride can take you on the most amazing adventure of your life. One weekend I was traveling to Milan, the next Paris, next Rome, next Barcelona... it seems like a dream, and I still have to convince myself that it happened.

My third location: San Francisco, California
San Francisco is always going to be San Francisco. I knew as soon as I got here that it was going to be intense. Surprisingly there is a strong Miami presence out here. This semester, our Friday company visits have included alumni that work at Twitter, Doordash, Facebook, Netflix, and more.

What is your favorite part of your program?

One of the simple joys I experienced was traveling around Europe with friends. Our first trip to Milan was 12 hours by train, and it was the first time that the journey mattered just as much as the destination. We bonded over cards, video games, songs, stories, and so much more. We shared a sense of anticipation. More often than not, we did not have a plan, just vibes.

How has the study abroad experience changed you?

Kyle and friend at the Eiffel TowerMy study abroad experience has provided a heightened sense of confidence and comfort for virtually anything that comes my way. Working in these contrasting environments has allowed me to learn how to adapt to change with ease. I have been exposed to so many resources and connected with so many people. I can not begin to explain myself without explaining this program.


Where in the World is Miami Wednesday is a news article series that features Miami students studying abroad/away and international students. Catch us next week as we continue to travel around the world to feature the amazing opportunities that Miami students are taking and the experiences our alumni have had since graduating!

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