Name: James Woodworth

Year: Sophomore

Major(s): Industrial Engineering

CFS Class: Business Field Studies

Employer: CORE Industrial Partners

I can’t imagine a better time to have taken CFS than this quarter. I’ve found that life on Northwestern campus can often be isolated from the real world. In many ways, we live in a bubble. While outside events still have an impact on the school, often times that bubble shelters us to a degree. That is why I am thankful to have been interning through the CFS program when covid-19 engulfed the world. Weeks before the virus had any real impact on campus, the firm I work for had already begun to discuss it and the implications it posed. Even after the virus began to impact campus, I feel that my exposure to it in a professional setting has been much more impactful. I have gained first hand experience observing my firm’s portfolio companies have to navigate the current economic landscape as well as the detrimental effect Corona has had on potential deals. Just this morning the managing partner referenced how he had been talking with the owner of AirBnB who was worried about the company’s ability to survive the desolation Corona has induced on the hospitality industry. On campus, Dance Marathon’s cancelation almost seemed surreal to many people. In the grand scheme of things though, it doesn’t even rank as a notable event. CFS has provided me with the opportunity to broaden my perspective, and I am thankful to have that viewpoint for the first correction (possibly recession) in over a decade. Overall, I highly recommend partaking in CFS if you have the opportunity.