Deutschland, ich komme!

My name is Olivia Murphy and I am a junior at Pitt studying marketing and supply chain management. The supply chain aspect of this trip is one of the reasons I applied! One of my favorite aspects of my major is the PR route, which I hope to pursue more this summer. Although I entered Pitt being undecided, I always knew I wanted to be business. During my first semester freshman year, I joined the business fraternity, Phi Chi Theta. Since being in the fraternity, I have held the position of social chair for three semesters. I also spent a semester being the senior new member educator to an incoming pledge class. This business fraternity has been one of my favorite experiences in college.

I am from Brooklyn, New York. I decided to come to Pitt because I really wanted to go to college in a city. I went to middle school in Brooklyn, and attended high school at the NYC Museum School, In Chelsea, Manhattan. I have always loved living in Brooklyn, and plan to move back to the city as soon as I graduate. I have an older sister who graduated from UCLA and still lives out in California. I always go home for the summers in college, and some of my favorite work experiences have been in NYC. Two summers ago I interned at a New York Fashion Week brand, and it was an incredible experience. Last summer, I interned as a supply chain coordinator for a summer camp, it was a lot of Amazon ordering and excel use!

The reason I applied to this plus 3 program is my love for traveling, and my interest in supply chain. I have been to Germany before, but never near the Augsburg area, and wanted to be able to explore it! I also love meeting new people, so the idea of working with the German students is super enticing to me! I am also very excited that they will be visiting us at Pitt next year. I am also a very hands on learner, so I am very excited to see supply chain aspects of the businesses we are visiting. I also am excited to get to know the Pitt students who I am traveling with. As a junior, I feel like the chances to meet new people have decreased since freshman year, and I am glad that this trip provides that!

I hope to gain a new insight on business and social aspects of another country. It is always interesting to see the social and cultural norms of another country. I hope to gain a new insight from the German students. I also hope to learn from the German students, and hope they can learn from me! Personally I hope to expand my social circle, and professionally I hope I gain new insights on the business world of another country, and apply that learning back at Pitt my senior year! Overall, I could not be more excited!