Hi, my name is Rachel LaRocca!

I am currently a junior here at the University of Pittsburgh pursuing my Bachelor’s in Marketing and Psychology. With both disciplines, I am seeking to combine my passion for helping others with my love for business. Outside the classroom, I am actively involved around campus. At Pitt, I am a Brother of Delta Sigma Pi, an active member of both American Marketing Association and Women in Business, as well as a member of the International Honors Society of Psychology, Psi Chi. I am also currently a Research I assistant at the University of Pittsburgh Drug Discovery Institute where I have gained hands-on experience not only working in a laboratory, but also opportunities to network with others interested and passionate about health care. After graduation, I hope to pursue a career within the health care industry and potentially attend graduate school. In my free time, I enjoy trying out new coffee shops around Pittsburgh, collecting house plants, practicing yoga, and listening to new music!

This summer, I will be traveling to Dublin, Ireland to participate in the Plus3: Ireland program. Born and raised in a small town about 45 minutes north of Pittsburgh, I am excited to leave my hometown roots and travel outside the country. For me, this program checked all the boxes in terms of location, timeline, and the unique opportunity to learn outside of the traditional Pitt Business classroom. The mix of scenic and business opportunities offered in Ireland really sold me on the program. With COVID-19 putting many programs on hold for nearly two years, I wanted the chance to study abroad at least once in my college career. I knew that I had to jump on this great opportunity.

With this program, I hope to professionally gain a better lens of how business is done on a global level as well as a perspective of the role culture plays within day-to-day activities of businesses. Academically, I want to strive to push myself to think outside the box and put myself in the shoes’ of working professionals in Ireland. Additionally, I would like to continue to build upon and improve my professional skills through my experience abroad as this could benefit me in the future. On a personal level, I hope to take this opportunity to learn more about myself as well as push myself to get outside of my comfort zone with my fellow Pitt Business cohort!