¡Hola y bienvenido a mi blog! My name is Lysia Gehris and I am a freshman from Williamsport, Pennsylvania. I am a Marketing and Health Services double degree student here at the University of Pittsburgh. Here at Pitt, I am involved in many student organizations. I serve as VP of Regional Conference for American Marketing Association and Marketing Director for Pitt’s Formula SAE team, Panther Racing. Recently, I was also inducted into Alpha Phi Omega, the largest service organization on campus. With the experience and knowledge from classes and extracurriculars, I hope to work for a nonprofit community health organization upon graduation. My passion specifically lies in increasing resources for and knowledge about mental health among unrecognized communities and demographics. My interest in the healthcare industry has existed since childhood when I would attend community outreach events alongside my mother, but my decision to have a career in healthcare administration came to fruition in high school when I served as chair for Lycoming County Youth Development Task Force. This organization is where I launched the “Find Your Worth” campaign which focused on outreach programs to address unrecognized mental health issues in local high schools. Upon return from Plus3 Argentina, I will be interning at Garrison Hughes working with one of their largest clients, UPMC, to gain exposure in both the advertising and healthcare industry. When I am not in the classroom or doing homework, you can most likely find me exploring the city or making art, specifically painting.

I am participating in Plus3 Argentina because it is a perfect fit with both of my majors. It will provide me with invaluable knowledge about both healthcare and marketing. The two non-academic aspects that I am most excited about on the trip are the food and being able to immerse myself in speaking the Spanish language. One of my favorite foods is paella, but I have only ever had it in the United States, so I am very eager to try an authentic version. I have also been learning the Spanish language since pre-school and have been waiting for a chance to fully immerse myself in speaking it. Academically, I am excited about our site visits to the public healthcare facilities. Not only do I think it will be very educational to see how that aspect of the Argentinian healthcare system works, but I also think it will be a very eye-opening experience in understanding the culture and daily life in other parts of the world. I am also looking forward to interacting with the students at Austral. I hope to give them information about my personal experiences with the United States healthcare system and hear their perspective on how it relates to their experiences in Argentina. I hope to walk away from this trip with a more global perspective on healthcare, ideas to apply to my future jobs within the healthcare industry, and connections with both my peers and the professionals we will meet in country. I am very grateful that I am able to experience this opportunity that is so unique to Pitt Business and, because of that, I plan to cherish every second of it. ¡Nos Vemos!