Hello! My name is Leena, and I am from North Wales, PA. At Pitt, I am currently a business student majoring in marketing, but looking to explore potential second majors. I am an experienced traveler, but I have never considered going to Cyprus before, so I’m very excited about this experience.

On campus, I am heavily involved, as I love to stay busy doing things I enjoy. Within Pitt Business, I am an active member of Corporate Connections and the American Marketing Association, and outside of that, I am part of Red Cross Club, Ice Cream Sundays, and The Letter Project due to my sincere love of volunteering. While it can be challenging balancing my extracurriculars with classes, I find it worth it to take advantage of all the opportunities Pitt has. Outside of my academic involvements, you can probably find me reading or doing something creative in my spare time.

I have been eagerly waiting for my time in Cyprus to start, not just for personal reasons but also because of the amazing chance this will be academically and professionally. I have already learned so much about the country and supply chain management from the pre-departure classes, including how Cypriot culture differs in both business and casual interactions (in Cyprus, all interactions tend to be much more formal than in the US, and in business, it is especially important to adhere to the expectations and dynamics of the host country), some helpful background about the country’s history (essentially that the island has been controlled by multiple cultures, from the Egyptians to the Romans to the English to the Turks, etc.), and about some of the incredible companies we will be visiting once we depart (from Wargaming Group to Columbia Shipmanagement to Medochemie Pharma). Once we arrive, I hope to fully leverage this experience to make new connections professionally and soak up the sight of international business in action. In addition, I plan to utilize this trip to figure out if I love supply chain and determine if I want to pursue that on my academic path at Pitt.

I specifically chose Cyprus as my top program location for many reasons. First, I wanted to pick somewhere that I would be excited to go and had never thought to visit before. Cyprus, a little Mediterranean island smack in the middle of three continents, was somewhere I had barely heard of let alone considered exploring, and I thought it fit perfectly. Second, I needed to choose a location that focused on a topic of intrigue to me academically and professionally. I have been considering a potential second major, but still am unsure exactly what I’m interested in, so I saw Plus3 as a hands-on chance to explore another field in real-world applications and on an international level. Third, I wanted to go into my global experience with more than just coursework on my mind. Cyprus is a unique product of different cultural and historical influences, and I wouldn’t get the most out of the experience without learning about the country on a cultural level as well. Lastly, I want to use this opportunity to meet more people and make some long-lasting friends! There’s nothing like spending over two weeks abroad to bring people together, and I am looking forward to getting to know my classmates better with Plus3.