Hi everyone! My name is Carlye Mitnick and I am a junior at the College of Business Administration at the University of Pittsburgh majoring in Marketing. I am from Wexford, Pennsylvania which is about 30 minutes North of Pitt. I’ve been a Pitt fan and going to Pitt football and basketball games ever since I can remember! I am now on the Pitt Dance Team where I dance and cheer at many Pitt sporting events, including football, men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, and wrestling. Through the dance team, I am able to represent the  University as an ambassador at many Pitt events on and off campus. The dance team also gives me the opportunity to volunteer at many charities around Pittsburgh including the Children’s Institute, Strong Women Strong Girls, UPMC Children’s Ball, Five P Minus Society and Reflections of Grace Foundation to name a few. I love to be involved on campus and for two years I worked at the Stress-Free Zone on campus where I promoted mindfulness through giving tours and presenting at outreach events. I also interned at STORExpress in the marketing department for the past two summers where I became interested in different aspects of marketing which led me to choose that particular major and transfer into Pitt Business.  I have really enjoyed my classes in the business school and I appreciate the many opportunities that come with being a Pitt Business student. Pitt business study abroad is an opportunity that I cannot wait to take advantage of.

I am really looking forward to this unique study abroad experience that is Plus3: Transfer Ireland! I have been wanting to study abroad ever since I applied to Pitt. I have been to 25  countries but I have not had the opportunity to study and learn about another country from a business perspective. I have seen from friends and family members how rewarding studying abroad can be. In addition, as I was researching different study abroad programs to be involved in this summer, Plus3 Transfer Ireland seemed to be the perfect program for me because of all that it has to offer.

In less than two weeks I will be walking around Dublin, touring companies, asking questions to Dublin executives, networking and learning about Dublin’s culture and politics through lectures.  This is an opportunity filled two weeks and I want to take in as much as I can during this amazing business trip. As I prepare to go to Dublin I have set personal, academic and professional goals

First, I want to grow personally by meeting new friends through Pitt Business. This trip is all about ambiguity and I want to have experience learning how to deal with the unexpected. I believe going to Ireland with new classmates, visiting unfamiliar places and being thrown into new business experiences will help me grow to become a more adaptable person. This trip will also allow me to learn how to build confidence while I network in a foreign place.  

Professionally and academically I want to learn about different types of businesses. I have not explored the technology and innovation industries yet and doing this in Dublin will help me to get a broader understanding of business. When I come back from Ireland I want to be able to use the valuable lessons I learn in Dublin and apply them to my business classes and any internship, job or career that I choose to pursue. Although, I have not decided on a career path at this point in my academic career, learning about different industries and companies in Dublin will help me to understand more about what I want to do in the future.

I cannot wait to learn and grow personally, academically and professionally through this once in a lifetime experience. See you soon, Dublin!