Hi, my name is Austin Gilliland, and I’m super excited to travel to Morocco in a week. I’m originally from Curwensville, PA and I’m currently studying Finance and Accounting in the business school. At Pitt I’m apart of Panther Equity, Pittsburgh Management Consulting, and Alpha Kappa Psi. My two favorite past times are golf and snowboarding, but I love pretty much any sport or competitive activity. I’ve never been outside of North America, so this trip will be a totally new experience for me.

Plus3 Morocco stood out because of its focus on entrepreneurship and technology, as well as its more unique location that I would’ve never expected myself to visit originally. During this program I hope to gain a deeper understanding of the entrepreneurial landscape of Morocco, and how emerging companies are utilizing technology to expand, especially in a developing environment like Morocco. Site visits and corresponding presentations on the trip will help me to achieve this goal, and I plan to take in and learn everything I can from these opportunities.

Cultural knowledge is another important aspect I want to focus on during my time in Morocco. Having the opportunity to spend 2 weeks with a host family is a once in a lifetime experience, and I’m eager to finally get to meet my host family and learn as much as I can from them in the time we spend together. Traveling throughout Rabat, Casablanca, and Marrakesh will also give me a broad view across the country as I witness the dynamic of each area and every new surprise that comes along the way.

I can’t say enough about how excited I am for this journey abroad, and I plan to make the most of every second I have in Morocco. I expect to make a lot of memories I’ll never forget, and I look forward to reflecting on and sharing them throughout my blog posts.

– Austin Gilliland