Hello! My name is Elizabeth Seward, and I am a freshman studying computer engineering and music at the University of Pittsburgh. I hail from the infamously snowy city of Buffalo, New York, and I am the youngest of three. Here at Pitt, I am a graphic artist for The Pitt News and am an a violist in various chamber ensembles. Next fall, I will be starting as a resident assistant with Pitt ResLife. In my free time, I enjoy listening to and making music, reading, and spending time outdoors.

I couldn’t be more excited to visit Italy – I look forward to developing personally, academically, and professionally. While my freshman academics have not delved into business or supply chains, I am excited to switch gears from my intense cirriculum and study another subject matter I have never closely examined before – fashion. Fashion is a large part of my daily life that I am eager to explore from a unique perspective. I have always been naturally curious about how businesses are streamlined for the most sustainable, cost effective, and efficient processes possible, and I am thrilled to get a first hand look at the core of the fasion industry from Milan, Italy.

In addition, I have never traveled abroad before, so I am humbled to have the chance to visit Italy’s unique combination of culture and history. From this trip, I hope to gain an insightful knowledge of Italian culture through immersion in different excursions, foods, shopping, and sightseeing. I am particularly excited to see Venice and its famous gondolas. From a more academic stance, I hope to gain a more inclusive perspective on how business in the world works, and how I can apply this knowledge for use my future career as an engineer.

I am looking forward to seeing all of the beautiful sights Italy has to offer, learning about the fashion industry, and eating plenty of pasta and gelato – all with a fantastic group of individuals and instructors. Italy, here we come!

Ciao per ora, amici – arrivederci!

Bye for now, friends – see you soon!