So starts the blog of Raghu Venkatesh. I am a junior at the University of Pittsburgh College of Business Administration, majoring in Marketing and Supply Chain Management. Befitting my major, I also belong to the Pitt chapter of the American Marketing Association, as well as the League of Emerging Analytical Professionals.

This summer, I will leave the classroom and the city for the world — a 2-week program in Dublin, Ireland, to be specific. It has been clear for a while, in spite of the coronavirus pandemic, that Pitt wants as many of its students to study abroad as possible through one of the many programs available via the Global Studies Office. As a program geared towards both us older people and those in CBA Ireland seemed like the most straightforward of the Plus3 programs to participate in. Furthermore, there are the economies of scale from being in a group of travelers.

One of the most interesting things about this trip that I am looking forward towards is the site visits of the various Irish startups. How grueling is launching a business. Furthermore, they each are using technology in interesting and innovative ways. Beyond that, I hope to make some friends abroad that I can later interact with back in Pittsburgh. Finally, I can take in the beauty of the Irish landscape, green and temperate.