Hello! My name is Nolan Palladino, and I’m a freshman in the College of Business Administration majoring in Accounting and BIS. I also plan on minoring in economics and completing a Certificate in Data Analytics. I’ve been interested in business ever since I can remember and always knew it was meant for me. In my junior year of high school, I took an accounting course, and it immediately caught my interest and I’ve never looked back. At Pitt I’ve joined the University of Pittsburgh Accounting Association and have connected with many recruiters and companies. With hard work and dedication, I was offered an accounting internship this summer at AmeriHealth Caritas which I’m super excited about, in order to get a head, start on my career.

I’m from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, specifically Doylestown. Personally I enjoy spending time with my girlfriend/ friends, finding new adventures, and watching/ playing sports. Throughout my teenage years I was lucky to gain a lot of work experience. I had my first job at the age of 14 years old, and in total I have had three different jobs. With having a lot of different work experiences, I have learned a lot about myself, and have maturated as a person. I’ve always been super interested in travel and have traveled a lot in the US, but this will be my first-time visiting Europe and I’m so excited to check something off my bucket list.

I’ve always been interested in studying abroad and when I heard about Plus 3 it sounded like the perfect opportunity for me. Being able to get the experience of studying abroad but with much less of a time commitment away from home is exactly what I was looking for. I choose Plus 3 Germany for many reasons; for one my grandfather is 100% German and I’m very close to him and connecting with my heritage like this is exciting. The programs focus on cars and auto tech in general is also something I have a passion for. In fact, I drive a Volkswagen, the owner of Audi, a company we are visiting on the trip! My parents also drive Audis so seeing how their cars are made is an extremely exciting thing for me.

This trip will teach me a lot not just about business but about life. Creating connections with employers especially foreign will be a great thing for my future career. Living and working in another country is always something I’ve considered, and this trip gives me a little taste of what that may look like. I plan to achieve a lot on this trip, especially learning more about the international business space to give me a leg up in my future career in the ever-growing business landscape. I’m beyond excited for this opportunity as it will further my growth not only as a student but as a whole.