Hello! My name is Jordan Armstrong and I am a freshman in the College of Business Administration at the University of Pittsburgh. I am pursuing a major in Finance, a minor in Economics, and a Certificate in Leadership and Ethics. Since coming to Pitt, I have gotten involved with Phi Beta Lambda, a professional business organization. After my first semester, I ran and assumed the position of Vice President of Service. I am from Montgomery County, Pennsylvania but if you ask me in person, I will say I live “outside of Philly”. Although I’m loyal to Philadelphia teams (go birds!), my dad lived in Pittsburgh and has taught me to love both cities. Back home, I worked as the receptionist at my local gym. From this experience, I have learned the value of community and friendship. We all have much to learn from each other and I hope that my time abroad adds to my knowledge of the world.

This May I have been given the honor of traveling to China to study the smartphone industry. I have always been interested in traveling and the Pitt Plus3 program sounded like a perfect opportunity to dip my feet into the adventure that is studying abroad. This 2-week long program will give me insight on what study abroad has to offer. It will also be a good first immersion into a new country and allow me to use a different perspective when viewing problems. I will be given a look into business through another culture by touring companies and being given advice from executives. In the future, I hope to increase my study abroad experience through one of Pitt’s many other programs.

China is at the forefront of technological advancements which is leading innovation. By studying China’s technology market, I will be able to have insight in the ever-growing industry of smartphones. Not only will I be able to study the smartphone industry, but I will be able to learn how a country’s history and culture influences its products. I hope to gain a broader perspective over the business world and the process it takes to create a product. It’s one thing to study about these processes in a classroom setting, but I know visiting the factories and going to the source of the production is where I will gain the most knowledge. Real world experience is unique to learning. At this point in my education, I have many uncertainties regarding my future career but studying abroad is one thing I am certain about. Another certainty is that I want to work in an environment that promotes diversity and travel. Experiencing other countries is the perfect way to understand how the world works. We all have much to learn from each other and I hope to transfer the knowledge I gain overseas into my everyday life.

I hope you follow me on my journey of gaining knowledge (and hopefully eating good food)!