COB 300 in Antwerp leaves lasting impact on alumna

When Taylor Holmes (‘17) boarded a plane to Belgium for her semester abroad, she was taking a leap of faith. A junior Marketing major, Holmes didn’t consider herself a well-traveled person, but something about the COB 300 in Antwerp semester abroad sparked her curiosity. “I thought, ‘What could it hurt?’” she said. 

Upon landing, her emotions quickly shifted from those of excitement to panic. “I remember landing and having this initial shock of like, ‘Oh my God, I’m here and I can’t get back on a plane and go home,’” she recalled. Once she made it to her student housing she broke down in tears, overwhelmed by the distance from home and the uncertainty that lay ahead. What she didn’t know then was that this moment—equal parts fear and courage—would mark the beginning of a journey that would shape her career, her confidence and her life abroad.

Despite the rocky start, Holmes began to adjust and started embracing what it meant to be living abroad in Europe. She soon found herself taking weekend trips to Prague, Munich and London, fostering new friendships and immersing herself in cultural discovery. “It was clear this was going to be really good for me,” she said. “It forces you out of your comfort zone and opens your eyes to life outside the bubble, not just the JMU bubble, but the American bubble.”

She graduated from JMU with her B.B.A. degree and, desiring an international experience that would allow her to “live like a local,” returned to Belgium to earn her master’s at the Antwerp Management School.

With classmates from around the world and only a handful of fellow Americans, Holmes was hooked on living in a truly global environment. “It was one step further into cultural immersion,” she said. 

After graduating with her Master in Global Management, Holmes returned to the States to look for work when a LinkedIn message from another JMU alumna changed everything. “She was working for a startup [in Antwerp] and said they were hiring,” Holmes said. “It wasn’t exactly what I wanted to do, but I thought, ‘Whatever gets me back to Europe is going to be the move.’”

So, once again, Holmes boarded a plane, but this time she never looked back. She landed the job, beginning her career in Europe in January 2020—right before the world shut down. 

Today, Holmes lives in Amsterdam and works as a Senior Customer Success Manager at DataSnipper, a Dutch startup that created an intelligent automation software specifically for auditors. Her role involves working with strategic clients across the globe, including major accounting firms. “I genuinely love my job,” she said. “It’s a great company, a great product and I get to work with people from all over the world.”

Living and working in Europe has profoundly shaped who Holmes is today and how she operates on the global stage. “You see the world through a different lens,” she said. “It’s humbling to be in a country that’s not your own and recognize that you need to follow different business norms.” She’s learned to adapt her communication style for clients from different countries and be flexible when confronted with something that challenges her norms. “It’s an exercise in understanding how to work with people from different backgrounds,” she said. “It makes you a more well-rounded global citizen.”

Looking back, Holmes credits her first study abroad trip to Antwerp with helping her build resilience and confidence, giving her the courage to live and work long-term overseas. “When you are in a situation where you do not have all of the comforts around you physically, then you really find out what you're capable of,” she said. “It improves your sense of self and your ability to interact with and participate in conversations about the world around you. It opens your eyes to new things that you might not have ever considered or thought about.”

For students considering the Antwerp semester, Holmes has clear advice: “Wholeheartedly do it. Your friends will still be there when you get back. Don’t worry about missing out—go experience life.”

After finding her place in the world, Holmes has no plans to return to the U.S. anytime soon. “I just wanted to experience a different culture for another year,” she said. “Now it’s been six, and I’m still here.”