Maynooth University alumnus Ben Finnegan's success in getting the Plaza Mayor of Salamanca in Spain illuminated green for Saint Patrick's Day whilst a student at MU is currently being showcased on the HEA website as part of the 30 year Celebration of the Erasmus Programme. Ben studied a BA International Business and Spanish at Maynooth University from 2009 to 2013. He says "My first year was the first time that Business was offered as an arts subject. I got a letter in the post a couple of days before the CAO deadline informing us of this and as a result I changed my application right at the deadline as I wanted to do Business but also didn't want to stop studying Spanish and really wanted to study abroad in Spain so Maynooth was the perfect choice!" Ben took part in the Erasmus Programme in 2011-2012 spending the year studying in Universidad de Salamanca in Spain where he went to great efforts to get the city's main plaza turned green to promote Ireland on Saint Patrick's Day. He offers great inspiration and example to students who may wish to study abroad and act as ambassadors for Ireland. When he graduated from his degree Ben worked as MU Student Union President for two years. He has gone on to take up a role in the International Office at Mary Immaculate College in Limerick.