Hi everyone, my name is John Wedgeworth and I am a freshman at the University of Pittsburgh. I am in the College of Business Administration pursuing a major in accounting. I am from Towson Maryland, just about 10 minutes outside Baltimore. Growing up going to Orioles and Ravens games gave me a passion for sports and the diverse food scene of Baltimore made me explore all different cultures’ food. These now are some of my favorite hobbies, playing sports and not just trying new foods but cooking them.

This summer I will be traveling with the plus 3 group to Korea. I have traveled in the past going to Canada and Belize but this will be my first time going to Asia. I specifically chose Korea because of its vibrant culture and great food. Growing up in Towson Maryland I was 40 minutes away from Ellicott City which is a Korean town in Maryland. Every other restaurant was Korean and I made it a goal to try as many of the restaurants as I could each time ordering a new dish. I grew in love with some Korean food like Kimchi Jigae, Korean Fried Chicken, and tteokboki. With my love for Korean culture growing I thought the Plus 3 program would be a great opportunity to explore the culture more.

I believe this trip will be very beneficial to me. My goal is to explore a new culture, make lifelong friends, and learn about some of the different businesses that help run the economy. On this trip I will not shy away from any new experiences even if I have to try raw octopus. I can’t wait to go and am excited for everyday that I will have in Korea.