Hi everyone!

My name is Annie Chen. I’m from Gibsonia, PA, which is half an hour north of Pittsburgh. I am currently a freshman here at the University of Pittsburgh studying Finance and Accounting. On campus, I am involved in the Music and Entertainment in Business Association (MEBA) and Smart Women Securities. Throughout the rest of my time at Pitt, I plan on joining more clubs and pursuing more leadership positions on campus that will ultimately help me grow personally and professionally. As for career aspirations, I don’t really have a specific job in mind, but I’m considering something in the audit field.

I can be a pretty outgoing person, but I do also like spending time relaxing and watching shows on Netflix. My favorite pastimes include listening to music, shopping, and visiting museums. I love to travel and have traveled internationally many times in the past.

Although I have experience visiting other Asian countries, I have never been to South Korea, which is one of the reasons why I chose South Korea for the Plus3 program. It would be really interesting to see the differences in culture between many Asian countries regardless of their close geographical locations. I am a big history and culture enthusiast, so I will definitely be trying to immerse myself into the culture of South Korea. In addition, I hope to learn more about the technological advances that they have been making there, especially regarding smart systems. I’m interested in seeing how daily life in South Korea is impacted by the prevalent use of smart systems, and seeing the differences between life in the U.S. versus Korea.

From a professional standpoint, I hope to develop my networking skills, especially in a global perspective. As the world is going through globalization, now more than ever, going on this trip will open my eyes to the customs workplaces have that might be different to what the workplace culture in the U.S. is like. From an academic standpoint, I hope to leave Korea with more knowledge about how other parts of the world live and function.

Overall, I’m truly grateful for this experience that I was provided through the University of Pittsburgh and the vast amounts of opportunities they provide. I can’t wait for the relationships that I will develop and an eye opening experience that I will never forget!