Teaching Mia

Chapter 19 - Cramming

She spent the rest of the day with her study group, preparing for the final presentation on Li & Fung. The hotel had arranged private conference rooms for them to work in for the day. For once, she was really glad to be completely immersed in work, not having time to let her thoughts drift elsewhere.

They were halfway done with the slides, when someone brought up the issue of who would be presenting the next day. The group immediately fell into a heated discussion, everyone sharing their strong views on the matter. Having a diverse group of people from different nationalities always seemed to result in a strong difference of opinion and clashing of perspectives. But the level of creativity that emerged and learning curve that ensued made it worth the fight.

Mia certainly didn't want to be part of the conversation, so she didn't give any input. She hoped that her silence on the matter would somehow make her fly under the radar and thus, become less of a target.

"I really think Mia should present," Laura suddenly stated. She was from Germany but had lived in Italy and London for many years. She acted nothing like a stereotypical German. She constantly arrived late everywhere, and conducted herself in such a carefree manner that people jokingly referred to her as the non-German or Latin German.

Mia froze. "I...really don't think that's the best idea. You all know that I get really nervous when presenting..."

Laura pressed on. "You can barely tell. We might notice because we know you better, but someone that doesn't would barely know. It's natural that you get a bit nervous, but Mia you have such a clear voice when you speak. I think you're one of the best presenters in our class."

"Not to mention your perfect accent in English. None of us even comes close to that," Ana added. She was from Romania and was probably one of the smartest girls in class. On top of that she was extremely levelheaded and empathetic.

Mia couldn't believe her ears. "You guys are joking, right?"

"It's true, Mia. We all agree," Melissa said. "The way I see it, the people that should present should be Antonio, Mia, and Ana. Antonio can start off using his smoke and mirrors act, Mia delivers the hard facts, and Ana finishes it off by giving her piece of mind and charming the judges during the Q&A. It'll be a classic triple threat," she continued.

Mia looked around the conference table and they all nodded in agreement.

"I hardly think we need to take a vote on this one, but all those in favor say aye," Antonio said. He was from Argentina and was extremely extroverted, constantly cracking jokes at all times. Professors always seemed to love him, and had become known as the teacher's pet in class.

"Aye," the room echoed. Everyone had said it except for Mia. Just like that, it had been settled. Mia would have to present before an audience of 100 people, and for the first time.

They continued working during the rest of the evening. Mia had become extremely nervous just thinking about the following morning, but she pressed on. Since when had her group become so civilized? She remembered clearly when they were first thrown together, they had been so dysfunctional and had spent most the time arguing over every little decision. Everyone had been so eager in the beginning and wanted to prove their alpha personalities and take control over all the assignments.

It had felt like a child being violently tossed into the water, desperately struggling to reach the surface and breathe again. But sooner or later, you learn how to swim.

Working long hours together over months had exposed each member's strengths and weaknesses, and they had really gotten into the rhythm of their workflow, dividing up their tasks evenly. They had come together as a group and had almost become a tight knit family. No, she had to be strong and couldn't let them down. She owed them that much.