Hello everyone! My name is Emi Tomczyk. I am from Bucks County, PA which is about 40 minutes from Philadelphia. This summer, I am super excited for the opportunity to study abroad in Ecuador as part of Pitt’s Plus3 program. As for a little bit about me, I really enjoy going on walks, cooking, and hanging out with my friends, family, and pets. I also love to travel and have been inspired to go everywhere I can after my trip to Europe last summer. After this study abroad experience, I plan to continue my travel journey on another study abroad program for a whole semester!
To get to know more about me, I am a first-year student in the College of Business Administration. I am triple majoring in Marketing, Supply Chain Management, and Business Information Systems. Some of my activities at Pitt include the Delta Sigma Pi business fraternity where I am serving this upcoming semester as the Vice President of Scholarship and Award, and the Chi Omega sorority. I am also involved in Pitt Dance Marathon where I am a part of the marketing staff committee and Camp Kesem.
When visiting Pitt before committing, I had heard about Plus3 and immediately knew it was something I wanted to go on. I was unsure on which location, but after talking to a couple of previous students who went on the trip, I decided Ecuador would be the perfect location! This program explores the supply chain of chocolate and flowers in Ecuador. With supply chain being one of my majors and chocolate and flowers being two of my favorite things, I knew this was the location for me. Also, the experiences are unique on the Ecuador trip compared to the others and the adventurous, nature filled activities really drew me to this trip. I am super excited to travel to South America as I have never been here before!
I believe the Ecuador Plus3 trip will help me to grow personally, academically, and professionally. Personally, I will be exposed to so many new opportunities and be able to immerse myself in a new culture. I look forward to stepping out of my comfort zone and trying new things on this trip. Academically, I hope to gain greater insight on the international supply chain and be able to apply this knowledge back to the classroom. Lastly, I want to grow myself professionally by engaging in this experience and learning how business is run abroad. Also, the firsthand experience this trip provides will help me to grow in all of these areas in different ways. I am very excited for the opportunity to travel, discover new perspectives, and to build invaluable experiences. With only 10 days left, I am counting down the days with excitement!