Ciao tutti! My name is Nolan Turco and I am a freshman majoring in Finance and minoring in Italian at the University of Pittsburgh. I was born and raised in a small town called Kittanning, which is forty-four miles northeast of Pittsburgh and is nestled cozily beside the winding Allegheny River. I am the youngest of four brothers whose names all start with the same letter (Nathan, Neil, and Nicholas), and in my free time I enjoy playing the piano, reading, exercising, being outdoors, cheering on Pittsburgh sports teams, and spending time with my family and schnoodle Winston. On campus, I keep myself busy with Panther Equity, Pitt Quiz Bowl, and the Italian Club. Panther Equity, in which I am a junior analyst, has vastly expanded my finance acumen with the researching, analyzing, and pitching of stocks while simultaneously keeping up to date with the global and domestic economies. It has also sparked my interest in pursuing the careers of either a financial consultant or investment banker, both of which allow me to follow my passion of assisting others with their financial endeavors.

I chose the Plus 3 Italy program because of my love for Italy (which is my second favorite country after the US) and its rich, vivacious culture. Growing up in an Italian family and working at Mercurio’s, I have heard many stories of the country and have partaken in many traditions, and I would love to experience the sights, sounds, and traditions of Italy first hand. Additionally, I would like to hone my Italian language skills by engaging in conversations with native speakers and attending mass at the local churches. I plan on eating as much of the delicious Milanese, Veronese, and Veneziano cuisine as possible, especially the gelato and biscotti! Following Plus 3, I will travel south to Calabria and visit my cousins in the town of Lago before seeing the cities of Roma and Firenze with my family.

What I hope to gain most from my two weeks in Italy are a greater understanding of international business and the supply chains of firms in the fashion industry. Gaining a greater understanding of international business will allow me to evaluate and compare the strategies and operations of Italian firms with those in America and comprehend what influences different cultures have on the businesses in their part of the globe. Furthermore, with fashion and apparel being the second largest polluting industry in the world, I would like to discover what plans of action the fashion companies we visit have in regards to combatting harmful environmental practices and promoting sustainable, traceable resources in their respective supply chains.

With the exception of the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, I have never been outside of the country before and am really excited for my first time abroad! I plan on getting outside of my comfort zone as much as possible and making many nuovi amici. I cannot believe Plus 3 is only two weeks away, and wish all of my fellow Plus 3 travelers Buona Fortuna e Buon Viaggio!