My name is Lucas Almena-Lee, and I’m super excited to travel to Ecuador in a week. I was born and raised in Shelburne, Vermont, and I’m currently studying Finance and Business Analytics. At Pitt, I’m a part of Panther Equity, Alpha Kappa Psi, and the first ever Pitt Poker Club (coming soon). My favorite pastimes are watching the NFL and UFC, fishing, cooking, and going on runs with my dog, but I’m always eager to try something new. Coming from a multicultural background, I travel internationally every year, but this will be my first time exploring South America.

Plus3 Ecuador stood out to me because of its focus on the cacao supply chain and the chance to follow the Arriba bean from harvest all the way to a finished chocolate bar. Being fluent in Spanish, I’m excited to engage directly with the people and businesses involved in each step of the process. During this program, I hope to gain a deeper understanding of how a single agricultural product can drive an entire industry, and how Ecuadorian producers meet the demands of a global market. Site visits will be a huge part of achieving this goal, and I plan to take in and learn everything I can from these awesome opportunities

Cultural knowledge is another important aspect I want to focus on during my time in Ecuador. The chance to travel from Quito and work our way through the Amazon is a once in a lifetime experience. I’m eager to see parts of the world I would never have visited without this program, and to gain a broader perspective through the lens of a culture I’ve never experienced before. I’m also personally looking forward to trying South American coffee straight from the source, and tasting cacao in its purest form 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 Ecuador. I expect to make a lot of memories, and I look forward to reflecting on and sharing them throughout my blog posts.