My name is Jamie Compher I am a current freshman at the University of Pittsburgh School of Business. I am undecided on my majors, but I am planning to double major in marketing and HR management. I am from Chester County Pa, which is about one hour outside of Philadelphia. In my free time I like to listen to music, go skiing, and watch the Sixers.
The plus 3 location that I have chosen is Morocco, a rising country in the northwest corner of Africa. I will be traveling to the cities of Casablanca, Rabat, and Marrakech, each of which have their own unique culture. The program focuses on entrepreneurship and technology with an emphasis on women entrepreneurs. I will spend most of my time living with host families while attending lectures, site visits, and cultural orientations.
The main reason I chose Morocco is because I want to expand my experiences of culture diversity. Although I have been fortunate enough to have visited Canada, Germany, and Austria these countries are very westernized and in many ways like the US. The culture is different but not drastically unfamiliar even to the point that English is a widely spoken language. Traveling to Morocco is the best way for me to broaden my cultural understanding of the world and help push me out of my comfort zone. Especially because without this program I likely would not have the opportunity to visit Africa.
I have many goals I intend to achieve in Morocco including advancing my professional development and immersing myself in a new culture. Academically, I am eager to sharpen my skills in professional settings, particularly through company presentations and site visits. These opportunities will allow me to improve my communication, cultural awareness, and overall confidence in presenting myself as a future business professional. This would be an excellent way to gain initial exposure to network with the people around me and create my mark as an aspiring leader in the global business world. Focusing on my personal goals, I look forward to fully embracing the cultural experience by broadening my horizons through all aspects of foreign life. With elements like local food, clothing, language, exploration, and meaningful conversations with community members. I am going to be extremely open minded and I’m expecting to be met with lots of contrasts to what I see every day in the US. My goal is to stay curious, involved, and absorb as much of the foreign way of life as I can, becoming more of a diverse and educated person during the program.