Ciao! My name is Lia Franco. I am the eldest of my parent’s three daughters and part of an enormous, close extended family from Spain and Portugal. I am currently studying bioengineering on the cellular track and plan to minor in chemical engineering and chemistry. At Pitt, I am a volunteer for Breakthrough Pittsburgh and a member of Design for America. This summer, I hope to finish training so that I may work as an Emergency Medical Technician as early as September 2019. I come from North Wales, Pennsylvania and have always loved to sing, read, and spend time in the company of friends and family in my free time.

I am incredibly excited to go to Italy with the Plus3 program in a few weeks! Although I have been to the Iberian Peninsula a few times to visit family, I have never been to any part of Italy and look forward to being immersed in the new culture and language of the country. I have already learned and heard so much about the noisy, public, friendly dynamic as well as the amazing cuisine and cafe culture that are hallmarks of the locals. I cannot wait to experience it all for myself!

I am eternally awed by the diversity of culture that can be found in as close neighbors as Philadelphia and Pittsburgh or Spain and Portugal, so I also hope that exploring different parts of Italy will give me a true sense not only of Italian culture as a whole, but also of the nuances and subtle distinctions in culture that can be observed between places like Milan, Venice, and Verona. I am especially curious to see the differences in professional behavior and culture since I hope to work with teams from around the world in the future.

Although supply chain management and the fashion industry are not directly related to bioengineering or chemistry, I find the topics intriguing and important to understand as a consumer and member of the global economy. I have already learned so much about the widespread impact of the entire process across international boundaries, economies, and the environment that I can’t help but be fully invested in learning more. I look forward to exploring the intricacies of fashion and industry as I interact with international professionals and discover a world of business and engineering I haven’t seen before.

I can’t wait to see you, Italy!

Non vedo l’ora di vederti, Italia!