Hello everyone, my name is Owen Baker. I’m a first-year business student majoring in accounting and finance. I’m from Washington, PA, about an hour south of Pittsburgh. My favorite hobbies include signing up for every intermural sport, golfing, fishing, and skiing. Since arriving at Pitt, I’ve joined Panther Equity, a student-run investment fund. I’ve also recently become an executive board member of the business fraternity Phi Chi Theta.

I am elated to have the opportunity to travel to Vietnam. When deciding between the plus-three locations I wanted to go somewhere which would push me out of my comfort zone. Vietnam’s culture, economic structure, and political system are so drastically different from our own. I know this experience will open my eyes to different ways of life. Also, I selected Vietnam as we are paired with students from The University of Economics in Ho Chi Minh City. Getting to form friendships with people who grew up on the opposite side of the world will be an amazing experience. Overall, I can’t wait to depart for Vietnam. I know I’ll remember those two weeks for the rest of my life.