Hi! I’m Katie Gerber, a freshman at the University of Pittsburgh’s College of Business Administration. I am from a small town in Erie, Pennsylvania where I grew up watching beautiful sunsets on Lake Erie, kayaking in the marshes during the summers, and enjoying the multiple feet of snow during our cruel winters. I played volleyball all throughout high school and now enjoy playing pickup volleyball games at the beach with my friends. I also love to watch scary movies, play with my dog, and have occasional shopping sprees. At Pitt Business, I am majoring in Accounting and looking into adding the Certificate in Business Analytics. Through the 3+1 MACC Program here at Pitt, I plan to pursue my Masters in Accounting and earn my CPA. In the beginning of my post-grad career, I would like to gain experience at a public accounting firm (with the dream being that firm would be a Big 4). Eventually, when I’m looking for a change, I will transition into the corporate accounting world, and work in an industry that I am passionate about. Outside of the classroom, I am involved in a couple organizations at Pitt Business. I am a new member of the professional business organization, Phi Beta Lambda, where I work towards developing my professionalism and networking skills. I am also a founding board member for Smart Woman Securities, an organization that focuses on providing financial literacy and investment education for undergraduate women.

My decision to choose Italy as my international destination was quite simple. Milan is the fashion capital of the world; they lead the way with trends and design. I have always found an interest in fashion and wanted to deepen my understanding of the industry, since I might want to find a corporate position within the industry later on if I truly enjoy it. I want to understand the companies’ business models and their focuses on social responsibility and sustainability, as these firms have an ethical obligation to uphold. Additionally, I am looking forward to expanding my understanding of the world by delving into a new culture. I had previously studied abroad this past summer to Ireland as apart of the Pitt Business Global Honors Fellowship. This was an experience of a lifetime for me as I was able to broaden my horizons and be introduced to new cultures. Since then, I have been yearning to travel to more places and gain new perspectives. The Italian, family-oriented culture is one I am eager to explore. I absolutely cannot wait to walk the streets of Milan, Verona, Venice, Como and more. I am extremely excited to explore all that these cities have to offer and taste all the different Italian foods!

A presto, Italia!