Students in Azusa Pacific University’s School of Business and Management had a unique opportunity to travel to Europe this summer on the school's annual L’APEU trip. Under the guidance of associate professor Wendi McGehee, PhD, business students visited five countries, interacting with APU alumni and global agencies along the way. On the 2025 trip undergraduates visited Austria, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and England, visiting with international businesses including Starbucks, Audi, Adidas, and LEGO®.
Students had many inspiring conversations with international APU alumni. “The purpose of L’APEU is to introduce students to all things international business. What’s unique is that we have a significant number of alumni who are European nationals as well as some who have relocated over to Europe for work,” said McGehee. “We were able to meet with several alumni at their workplaces and hear from them firsthand what it is like to work and live overseas.” Through these interactions, APU students were able to see what their futures could look like, with opportunities to discuss the possibilities of doing business abroad.
One alumna was Shannon Galford ’18, a senior program and strategy manager for Starbucks working in London at their International Headquarters . “After graduating from APU Shannon pursued international opportunities. The way that she explained how she found community, got plugged into a church, and built her life abroad made it seem like a realistic possibility for an international business major like me,” said Selah Stephens ’25.
Galford shared with the students what the process was like from undergraduate studies to working for a corporation on an international level.
In addition to Starbucks, students toured the LEGO® House in Denmark, learning the importance of constructive playing to help design new LEGO® products. “I spent the first half of my professional career with LEGO®. We toured the House and met with the head of the LEGO® experience,” said McGehee. “That evening we met with Robert who was a co-creator of the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY methodology which is something we use at APU in our graduate classes.” Through conversations with employees at LEGO® students gained a better understanding of their business. “Employees learn by doing, by building with the products that they work to sell,” said Jonathan Offhaus ’27. By learning how the product works, businessmen can better sell their products, because they have a real understanding.
On the L’APEU trip students learned how to sell their products and how to create atmospheres that help their employees thrive. “At Adidas there were so many people speaking different languages, employees from America, Germany, and many other countries in that one location. It was impactful to watch how they interact, how the design process works, and how everything still functions and runs smoothly because they are intentionally bridging the gap and finding common ground to work together,” said Stephens. “The company excels because people have found the common elements without bulldozing the importance of differences.” The intentionality of allowing employees to celebrate their differences while finding ways for them to work together was important for students to learn.
Through this observation, students can work to intentionally create welcoming spaces for all of their future employees. “When I got to go visit these spaces, the intentionality stood out to me even if it wasn’t explicitly expressed. Actions are important; they stand out even more than words,” Offhaus said. “I learned to be intentional in how I present myself to my coworkers and to interact with those around me in the workplace.”
Students learned more than just business practices. Through their time traveling to Europe, many for the first time, these undergraduates learned valuable life lessons. “They stepped out of their comfort zone and gained real-world experience before stepping into the workplace,” said McGehee.
To watch these students who were initially nervous take the leap into something foreign and own it was amazing. As faculty, we saw these students choose faith over the unknown.Wendi McGehee, PhD, CF-LSP
The students bonded with each other and learned how to find community abroad. “There were many times when we would sit in parks or the hotel lobby playing card games. We didn’t have to spend time with each other, but we chose to, and were intentional about our time in wandering the countries together,” said Stephens. “Those moments of intentional connection were my favorite.”
Through their time abroad, the students saw God move in amazing ways. Whether it was a transportation issue that was resolved seamlessly or the beauty in the new surroundings, APU students took time to celebrate the wonder of the Lord. “We called them God-stops,” said McGehee. “One of the beautiful things was traveling with students who know and love the Lord. We saw how God was with us the whole way.” Students also had the opportunity to share devotionals along the way. “Through moments of listening to how the Lord is moving in fellow students’ lives and what Scriptures they chose to share, I saw how applicable being lights to the world and choosing to put Christ first was,” said Stephens. “There was so much wisdom I gained through listening to how the Lord is working in the lives of my peers.”
This trip was influential in these students' lives, as they prepared to move into the business world or look forward to their next semester at APU. They learned how to manage their future businesses, interact with employees, and bring God into the workplace. “These students came back more mature and educated, not just with textbook knowledge but with hands-on experience,” McGehee said. “I would love for every APU business student to experience something like this, opening doors to something different so they can bring that new experience to the knowledge they already have.” The L’APEU trip is a unique opportunity for students to step into the unknown and come back with exponential growth.