Hi there! My name is Riley Franklin and I am a third-year finance major at Pitt. I transferred here last year and am grateful for this opportunity to travel to Augsburg, Germany this coming May. I definitely have the travel bug and love immersing myself in other cultures and ways of life. While I usually take trips with my family, this will be my second voyage across the pond with a group of students. In 2023 I was fortunate to spend a week in London meeting with companies in the finance industry.

I enjoy being active outside of the classroom and meeting new students/friends in the process. In Panther Equity, a student run investment fund, I am a Junior Analyst in the Energy and Utilities sector. I am Community Service Chair of Phi Chi Theta, a business fraternity on campus. I have also been a member of Women in Business here and at my previous university. A large part of my life is volunteering as I did it growing up and throughout college – soup kitchens, personal care homes, animal shelters and more. I have years of experience in food and customer service, cold calling, and a summer in credit analysis at First Commonwealth Bank. Once I return from Plus3 Germany in May, I will be moving to the Big Apple for a Summer Associate position at AlphaSights!

I chose to apply for the Plus3 Germany program after hearing what a positive impact it had on students in the past. I also know I will value the real world experience gained by focusing on the auto industry. I hope to network at company tours and Q&As with executives. I am mostly excited to work with other students in Germany and learn how they live life and what school is like for them. After doing research and attending our pre-trip classes, I am definitely eager to head to Augsburg and get as much out of this trip as I can!