Hi guys! My name is Eliza Talvola and I’m an upcoming senior majoring in Marketing at the University of Pittsburgh! I am pursuing minors in Studio Arts and Japanese and this summer I will be studying abroad in Dublin, Ireland!

I am the oldest of 4 children and grew up just 40 minutes outside of Pittsburgh in Beaver County. Until last summer, I had never left the country. That’s when I participated in my first study abroad program in Kobe, Japan! Since then, I fell in love with the excitement of travel and have committed to 3 other study abroad programs! This past spring I studied in Cochabamba, Bolivia for a week and in the upcoming fall semester, a few short months after I return from Dublin, I will be studying art in Florence, Italy!

I was so excited to hear about the Plus3 Transfer trip! The timing and duration of the program fits in perfectly with my summer internship plans. What really caught my eye though was the area of study and opportunity for site visits! I have always seen the tech industry as daunting and impossible to break into but I’m attracted to the culture and excitement of growth that comes with it. I never imagined that I would be able to study the tech industry within the central hub of the industry! I am the current VP of Pitt’s Society for International Business and would love to pursue a career in international marketing or working with international clients at an advertising industry. I am so excited to visit one of the biggest hubs of the tech industry and hear first hand what it’s like to compete in that type of environment. What’s even better, I was chosen to be one of the facilitators on our visit to a company very near and dear to my heart, Airbnb.

Through this program, I to improve my networking skills, gain a better understanding of the tech industry and how to manage international marketing campaigns, and pick up on some Irish slang. My previous study abroad trips have helped me to become more independent and daring and I hope that my time in Dublin will do the same. I want to become more adaptable, in business and in my personal life, and be more confident when facing uncertainty. Maybe it’s this Pittsburgh weather making me think I’m thick skinned, but I feel excited and ready to take on Dublin, rain or shine! Stay tuned to my blog to follow along with my trip!