Hi, my name is Ben Squarcia. I’m from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and I’m a freshman at Pitt majoring in Business Analytics and Finance. This May I am super excited to be traveling to Ecuador and learn all about the chocolate industry and everything else Ecuador has to offer!

Outside of school, I have a major love for all things sports related which is driving my focus for a career in sports one day. I like to spend most of my days by going to the gym, enjoying good food, along with playing and watching sports with all my friends. I also love to travel and get as many new experiences as I can.

Choosing Ecuador as my Plus3 location was very easy to me. I have always been amazed by the different kinds of landscapes this world has to offer and Ecuador is one of the most diverse regions in the world. I am very excited to touchdown in Quito and start the two week adventure of exploring a country I would never get to had I not pursued this program. On top of that, the chocolate industry has always been intriguing to me and being able to see how it all runs while getting to try amazing chocolate is what I am most excited for.