Help Us Reach Our Give Goal!

Van Andel Global Trade Center is reaching out to you during this giving season to ask for your help to continue to grow and cultivate future global business talent. Gifts, in any amount, will be used to continue to provide GVSU students with paid hands-on employment experience in international business. Our goal is to raise $5,000, to help fund student internships at Van Andel Global Trade Center through 2024. 

Click here to GIVE!

GVSU's Van Andel Global Trade Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

GVSU's Van Andel Global Trade Center educates the International Business Leaders of tomorrow!

Van Andel Global Trade Center (VAGTC) prides itself on its mission of strengthening the local community through increased global business by providing international consulting, training, and resources. Our team is able to make a significant impact across Michigan through the meaningful work we perform to help businesses with global projects that increase export sales and streamline the global supply chain. One of the ways VAGTC is able to complete so many global projects is through the help of the best and brightest Grand Valley State University students whom the Center employs. VAGTC understands that high-quality paid jobs and internships are not always easy to come by as a college student, and we are proud to be able to offer just that!

What Do Students have to say about their Van Andel Global Trade Center Experience?

Meet some of our past extraordinarily talented students and hear what they have to say about their experience working at GVSU’s Van Andel Global Trade Center.

Your gift will help us to offer high quality paid internships for GVSU students.

Van Andel Global Trade Center is not only providing businesses with international services and resources to succeed globally but is also cultivating the next generation of global business professionals, students are given a broad, hands-on learning experience that incorporates varying skills unique to global trade. Students work closely with our in-house experts who share their love and passion for global business by mentoring them through global projects for the Center and the greater business community. Grand Valley State University students support the Center’s mission through paid internships and student jobs.

GVSU’s Van Andel Global Trade Center also offers many opportunities to learn critical business skills to the students that it employs, such as project management, working on diverse teams, and business communication. Through mentorship on global projects, students receive a greater understanding of the skills that businesses are looking for when they begin their career paths after graduation. Students are also provided the opportunity to meet, network, and make connections with the global business community through events hosted by the Center. 

Where are they now?

From Fortune 500 companies to entrepreneurial pursuits, Van Andel Global Trade Center graduate & student interns alumni are working across the globe in Ireland, China, Singapore, Madagascar, and the United Kingdom and they are traveling even farther!

Hear what some of our students are up to now and how working at GVSU’s Van Andel Global Trade Center helped launch their careers!

Amy Harris '19

Watch the video and hear how working at GVSU's Van Andel Global Trade Center impacted Amy and where she is now!

Melanie Murphy '17

"The work that we do at the Center every day is impactful to companies and the community. VAGTC is an amazing resource for companies learning about importing and exporting, doing business abroad, and connecting local companies to others. The relations ships I’ve sparked over my time here are connections that will help take me further in my career and I owe that to VAGTC."

Benjamin Glick '16

"The VAGTC team was committed to creating a stimulating as well as a supportive environment where I was able to earn hands-on experience, build a valuable skill set, and develop relationships with members of the local business community.

I really can’t emphasize the support structure at VAGTC enough because it really is unique compared to most organizations I have worked for. I received a lot of encouragement during the final stretch of my senior year, and the lengths Sonja, Katherine, and Mark went to help connect me with people after graduation to find employment was incredible. They really go above and beyond to set students up for success and demonstrate the integrity of this organization. I can’t thank them enough."

Nate Engle ‘08

"I was really challenged to think critically. International business is complex, the Center provided me an opportunity to help contribute to solving real challenges for West Michigan business trying to expand globally. I’ve used a lot of the technical skills I learned at the Center during my years in the workforce after graduating from GVSU.” 

Kelly Halloran ‘07

"My time as a student assistant at VAGTC is one of the most memorable and defining moments of my college career. I had the opportunity to contribute and participate in events ranging from culture and the basics of doing business in different countries to complex global trade policies. I quickly learned the value of connecting businesses, professionals, and students and the positive impact it can have on a community. Through my internship at VAGTC, I discovered a niche in Supply Chain that was underrepresented at the time. Sonja introduced me to the world of Global Trade and US Customs and mentored me through obtaining my Customs Brokers License and securing my first job as an International Trade Specialist. Years later I still use my Trade knowledge daily and in the past 2.5 years, it has been instrumental to my company navigating the Trump tariffs. I’ve worked in over 20 countries throughout my career in Supply Chain and I love ever-present challenges and opportunities that arise. The opportunity for a paid position at such with such an outstanding organization directly contributed to a successful start in my career and it’s critical to keep opportunities like this open for our future students!"

Gladys Saldivia-Clark, '04

"I enjoyed my experience as a Grad Assistant at the VAGTC and working with amazing people. I had the opportunity to assist and participate in the planning of several events and seminars for Michigan businesses looking to expand their business internationally. I also had the opportunity to develop information and international resources for businesses to use. The Center helped me expand my skills as well as gain new ones, which I continue to utilize at work today."

Thank you to our donors for their generous support of GVSU Van Andel Global Trade Center's GIVE fund!