My name is Vincent Musial, and I’m a freshman at the University of Pittsburgh School of Business. Currently, I am double-majoring in finance and marketing. I’m from Mt. Lebanon, a town about 30 minutes outside of Pittsburgh. Outside of school, I spend most of my time watching sports, golfing, skiing, and hanging out with my friends. I’ve also had awesome opportunities to travel internationally before, including trips to Italy and Spain, which gave me an initial exposure to experiencing different cultures abroad.

For my Plus3 program, I chose Morocco, a rapidly developing country in North Africa with a unique combination of tradition and modernization. We will be traveling to Casablanca, Rabat, and Marrakesh, three cities that offer differing cultural and economic perspectives within the country. The program focuses on entrepreneurship and technology, with an emphasis on women entrepreneurs. Most of my time will be spent living with my host family while attending lectures, visiting companies, experiencing other cultural activities, and simply walking around the cities.

The main reason I chose Morocco is to live in an environment I have never experienced before. I was not sure when the next opportunity I would have to visit and learn about Africa would be when I am this young, so I am seizing the opportunity. While traveling to places like Italy and Spain was amazing, they still felt relatively familiar in terms of Western culture and general lifestyle. Morocco presents a completely different setting I am not accustomed to, which makes it a much stronger opportunity for personal growth. It’s not a place I most likely would have visited on my own, and that’s exactly what makes it so appealing.

During the program, I have a bunch of various goals. From a professional standpoint, I’m looking to improve my face-to-face negotiation skills. With online resale apps like eBay, Mercari, and Facebook Marketplace, it is easy to message someone asking for a lower price. In person is much different and is something I do not have a ton of experience doing, yet it is one of the most crucial characteristics in business. Being exposed to international business environments will also help me start thinking more globally, which is important for a career in finance. I’m also interested in observing how businesses operate in emerging markets rather than established markets and how cultural differences influence company decision-making. On a personal level, I want to fully absorb the experience. Through daily blogs and vlogs, I will have something tangible that I can look back on, which is very important to me. I will try my hardest to make them as entertaining as possible while still meeting the rubric as much as possible. To achieve this will force me to be open to new routines, try different foods, navigate unfamiliar environments, and have real conversations with locals I meet along the way. I expect there to be a lot of differences from what I’m used to, and that’s the point. My goal is to stay curious, involved, and adaptable throughout the trip, and come back with a broader perspective and some great campfire stories I can tell my grandkids.