When Worldwide Auctioneers hosted Saudi Arabia's first major collector car auction in November, a Trine University student was there to help record the historic event.

Nick Funk, a junior from Auburn, Indiana, majoring in marketing, serves as video editor and content creator for the Auburn-based company. Worldwide held the auction as part of the inaugural Riyadh Global Auto Salon, a festival designed to boost Saudi Arabian tourism.

As part of his duties, Funk traveled to Saudi Arabia for 10 days to record the event. His only prior travel out of the United States had been with family to Canada and Mexico. He was concerned about taking the time away from school and football - he punts for the Thunder - but said coaches and professors both encouraged him to go.

His first impression upon landing in Saudi Arabia was that the people were very hospitable. The hospitality continued through the excursion, as the visitors were given Arabic coffee and dates at the airport and every place they entered.

The auction itself lasted four days, and involved some of the most prominent people of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, according to Funk. He compared the event to the annual Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) car show held in Las Vegas, but on an even larger scale.

Favorite memories include walking on the Formula E track, where electric formula cars race each year. He also visited Al Diriyah, which once served as Saudi Arabia's capital. The ruins of mud-brick structures dating back to the 1400s remain.

He said the culture was like nothing he had experienced before. It also created unique challenges when shooting video. He continues to travel with Worldwide Auctioneers, though more recent locations have not been as exotic. He worked at the company's annual auction in Scottsdale, Arizona, in January, and will go to future auctions in Arizona, California and Texas.

He hopes to work for large corporations doing video once he graduates from Trine.