Name: Maja Dulic ’27
Majors: Applied economics and finance
Hometown: Kecskemét, Hungary
Student-Athlete: Water polo
Maja Dulic, an international student at Pacific, sharpened her business skills by tackling real-world challenges during her summer internship helping run a program and event center in her hometown in Hungary. A double major in applied economics and finance, Maja chose Pacific for its close-knit classes and rigorous academics that encourage critical thinking.
With the goal of interning near her hometown, Maja worked with her faculty advisers to secure funding through Pacific’s Nathan Scholars program, which provides economics majors and minors the opportunity to earn academic credit and a stipend while gaining first-hand experience in professional settings. Thanks to the program, Maja worked in a financial and operational role at Tanyacsárda Ltd., a restaurant and program center nestled in the countryside just outside her hometown.
“I wanted to find something close to home so I could stay near my family. I searched in my local neighborhood and came across Tanyacsárda Ltd,” Maja said. “They were really interested and excited about the opportunity to have someone studying in the U.S. intern with them.”
An internship with range and responsibility
Maja says the program center offered her a wide range of responsibilities across departments and gave her a holistic view of operations. She managed the company’s online presence and ensured that their website and social media platforms were running smoothly. Maja also supported the finance team, where she was able to apply the skills she gained as an economics and finance major.
“I assisted with financial tasks and got a first-hand look at the company’s accounting systems,” Maja said. “It was really insightful to compare those processes to what I had learned in school, and I gained a much deeper understanding of financial operations in a real-world context.”
Maja says working with the restaurant’s economic and financial director was one of her internship highlights. She collaborated with him to analyze data and apply it to strategic decisions that boosted revenue and efficiency. Drawing on her economics education, Maja applied data-driven thinking by analyzing situations, adapting in real time, and transforming theory into action.
She gained a behind-the-scenes view of daily operations through handling phone calls, responding to customer questions, and drafting proposals for group bookings and events.
In addition to gaining valuable business operations experience, Maja also welcomed the chance to meet customers and practice her English with visiting tourists.
“Every day was a learning opportunity,” she said. “Having multiple roles at this job has helped me discover so much about patience and practice. It takes a lot of teamwork and communication.”
From classroom theory to career-ready confidence
Before exercising her skills in her internship, Maja gained the practical knowledge she needed for the internship through her coursework at Pacific.
“The classes I took gave me practical knowledge I could apply during the internship, especially in understanding business operations, decision-making, and analyzing real-world situations,” Maja said.
Pairing her applied economics major with a finance degree ended up being a powerful combination. Economics gave her the analytical tools to understand the ‘why’ behind market trends and policy decisions, while finance taught her how to apply that knowledge to make smart financial choices, manage risk, and create value in real-world business settings.
“In economics, we’re always looking at real-world problems, understanding situations, analyzing causes, and searching for practical solutions. That mindset has taught me to think critically and make smarter decisions in everyday life,” Maja said. “By adding my finance studies to that foundation, I not only understand the bigger picture but also know how to apply it, whether it’s making sound investments, managing risk, or saving wisely for the future.”
Advice for students
“You learn how to act and to carry yourself in a workplace, which is so important before graduating and entering the real world,” Maja said. “Every connection you make and every challenge you face will help shape who you become.”
Maja says the first step of finding a position towards your career goals can be the hardest, but it is one of the most important. She sees an internship not as a brief job but as a glimpse into your future career.