Hey everyone, my name is John Fitch and I am a Sophomore here at Pitt. I am a Supply Chain Management and Marketing double major with an Economics minor. I am really excited about this opportunity to study abroad in Ireland for 2 weeks this summer. This is such a unique program and I realize that not many other schools offer a Maymester study abroad program, so I wanted to take advantage of it here at Pitt. I love how this program is designed for transfer students within the business school. I have learned that it is easy to feel lost or left out as a transfer student, so finding programs designed specifically for transfers is refreshing. I transferred from Dietrich Arts and Sciences so even though I was at Pitt the entire time, the process of transferring was still a big adjustment. 

I am from Buffalo, New York. I am a big fan of the Buffalo Sabres and Buffalo Bills. I love going to games when I am home and always try to watch them when I am at school. I played a lot of hockey and soccer while growing up. I went to a small high school in Buffalo, so it took a bit of time to get used to a large university like Pitt. Because of this, I jump at opportunities to get involved in smaller groups/clubs that help make this large student body feel smaller and more connected. I believe this program can help me achieve that same feeling. 

On this trip, my goals are to

• Personally: 
  • Immerse myself in Dublin’s culture and take in the beautiful scenery (both urban and natural).
  • Get close with the group of people I am traveling with and hopefully connect with them on a personal level.
• Professionally:
  • Network with the business professionals we will be meeting and be able to learn how they operate and do business in Dublin.
• Academically:
  • Bring new skills and techniques back to the classroom and be able to apply what I learned to my everyday studies. 

I love traveling and have been all over the world with my family. I spent a month in Alaska last summer and had so much fun. I have also been to Italy, Germany, France, Austria, and Switzerland and I am excited to add Ireland to that list. I have learned and experienced so much from each country I’ve been to and it’s fascinating to see how different each country is because of their culture. I can’t wait to learn and experience what Ireland has to offer.