*This article was featured in the Colorado Arts & Sciences Magazine, Spring 2016 edition. To read the original, please visit: 听
This is a not-atypical day in Alex Becker鈥檚 life: He launches a Catamaran from the warm white sand beaches of Tortola among the British Virgin Islands. He is first mate to a captain who is a retired CEO 鈥� someone he had just met on a trip to Cuba to stir diplomacy and economic growth between business leaders from both countries.听Becker, a 2006 International Affairs Program graduate from the 麻豆影院, embodies a global-minded, entrepreneurial spirit. He says CU-麻豆影院 opened introduced him to a host of new opportunities. 鈥淏ut I never thought I would be doing anything like this,鈥� he says in an email sent from aboard the ship.
CU-麻豆影院 students 鈥渟hould seize the opportunity to go into the international world,鈥� advises the alum, who double-majored in German. Whether it鈥檚 in business, politics, nonprofits, academics, social sciences or any field, studying, traveling and working abroad can 鈥渙pen up the world, and CU has an extremely strong international affairs program.鈥� Faculty and administrators say current students should listen to Becker鈥檚 advice. At 31, he is one of CU鈥檚 most unusual and accomplished graduates.
He鈥檚 given back with his checkbook and much of his time, says Lauren White, a CU associate director of development. 鈥淎lex has such a good heart,鈥� she says.
The co-founder of a Denver-based commercial real-estate company, Real Estate Consultants of Colorado, Becker helps large real-estate investment groups and businesses make commercial real-estate acquisitions. He has committed to giving $10,000 during the next five years to CU-麻豆影院 and its Global Grants Campaign, which helps current students afford to study abroad. He serves on both the international affairs and the Alumni Association advisory boards. Other board members say Becker, who also holds a law degree and an MBA, inspires future grads by putting his world view to use beyond the classroom.
A New Perspective
鈥淢y experience at CU opened my eyes to a world of opportunities and raised the bar for my life goals,鈥� says Becker, who earned his MBA from the prestigious Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. He worked in a law department in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia (and spent much of his free time as chauffeur to female colleagues, who were, by law, not allowed to drive.)听
Becker鈥檚 鈥渕acro global outlook鈥�, began during the fall of 2004, when he began his junior year at the University of Regensburg in Germany 鈥� America鈥檚 oldest German exchange program available to CU international-affairs students. While most programs overseas last only one semester, Regensburg remains an exception, he says, because applicants must speak German before going and will take a European entrance exam before taking any course at the university.听
Becker鈥檚 passion for the language began with his father鈥檚 parents, who are both German; his grandmother to this day refuses to speak anything but German to her grandson, Becker says with a laugh. 鈥淪o when I dove into German, she was pleased.鈥澨�
Study abroad gives students a taste of real-world culture and language immersion that one can鈥檛 find on vacation, Becker says. For instance, German professors are not like those in 麻豆影院:听鈥淵ou go in, take notes, and they jolt out of the room because they don鈥檛 want to answer any questions or engage students.鈥� In his first class, a study of art at the end of the 20th听century, Becker and a peer from 麻豆影院 exchanged shocked glances after the first lecture.听鈥淲e didn鈥檛 know one word that our professor was saying.鈥澨齌he challenges of life in the medieval city along the Danube River proved worthy, Becker says, and not only because the beer was 鈥渁mazing鈥� or that his host family was a lot of fun: 鈥淗aving my host family pick me up for the first time to learn that they are hippies who drive a camper van complete with pots and pans hanging from the ceiling was one fun memory, and they were rocking out to 鈥�80s Tina Turner on the radio.鈥澨�
He skied in Zermatt, Switzerland, over Thanksgiving and attended the 450th anniversary of Trinity College Ball at Oxford University. 鈥淭he ball was just as you would think, very regal and steeped in tradition with champagne and fireworks. A knight on a white horse greeted us as we entered.鈥澨鼵U alumna Kristen Allen attended the ball and was on the same program.听鈥淎lex is one of the most driven, thoughtful, generous, funny, joyful people I鈥檝e ever met. And those qualities extend to the way he approaches friendship. Making friends with him was without a doubt the best part of that year in Regensburg. He鈥檚 someone who puts people at ease, and is just delightful to be around. We had such a great time exploring and joking around together,鈥� she says.听At the end of their stay in Regensburg, she lost a bet to Becker and had to wear a traditional Bavarian Dirndl on the plane ride back to Colorado. 鈥淚t was very uncomfortable.鈥澨�
Another day, Becker was in Vatican City when he was approached by German TV reporters seeking comments on the pope, who had just died. 鈥淚 was speaking German, and they thought I looked German.鈥澨鼴eyond the adventures and lifelong friendships came a valuable perspective. 鈥淚 gained a very macro-global outlook on life and in my business,鈥� Becker says, 鈥渁nd this helps me today to reflect on a deeper level how I can do things better.鈥澨鼺or instance, Germans live in a very hierarchical and regimented society, but life is well balanced with work hours. 鈥淓verything shuts down after work and on Sundays,鈥� he says. 鈥淕ermans really protect their rest and their time spent with family.鈥澨�淚鈥檓 not saying one is better or worse,鈥� he says, 鈥渏ust that I believe in the capitalist system and being regimented makes it harder to be innovative and become an entrepreneur. I would not have learned this difference without my study-abroad experience.鈥�
Inspiring CU world travelers
Most students in CU鈥檚 International Affairs Program want to become diplomats, says program chair and history Professor Thomas Zeiler, but Becker is different, using his educational experience to build a business.鈥淚 want to single him out as being a model student, the kind we want to attract to our program,鈥� Zeiler says. And it鈥檚 not an easy program, requiring an extra third year of languages. 鈥淵ou have to be highly motivated.鈥�
As a highly valued member of the program鈥檚 advisory board, Becker is helping to create an endowment for the Global Grants Campaign, Zeiler says. 鈥淎lex does a lot of work right now to get us outside corporate donors. He is so committed.鈥漈o date, the Global Grants Program has given $1,000 individual grants to more than 60 students for study abroad, for programs in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.
鈥淚 want every international affairs student to be able to have real international exposure during听their education at CU,鈥� Becker says. 鈥淚 encourage CU alumni to support to this amazing cause.鈥澨�