Pitt Plus3 Program

One Last Pura Vida

During the last two weeks, I think the most interactive coffee experience we got was Don Guillermo’s tour of LIFE Monteverde. Even though it was not a big farm like Doka or Cafe Britt, it was more personal with the interviews and walking all around the farm. Over the last two weeks, I have learned…

Hasta La Vista Costa Rica

Farm The planning process is very important for farms, especially in terms of longevity. What stuck out to me about planning with farming is how your actions today could affect the productivity of you farm down the road. Don Guillermo explained how by integrating forest, organic fertilizers, and other sustainable aspects. He not only has…

The Final Stretch

These past two weeks we have explored various coffee, banana, and pineapple plantations where we got to learn about the supply chain process. My group’s focus was primarily on the design aspect so it was important for us to note the way the plantations approach marketing and design in terms of their farms and selling…

Day 11 in Cyprus

To kick off our last day in Cyprus, I had my very last cappuccino from the hotel espresso machine. After breakfast, we all headed to the bus which then took us back to Zygi to tour Cyprus’ largest cement factory and hear from Vassiliko Port and VTTV. I had previously seen the cement factory in…

Day 11: one last prayer before loading

Today, we started our day at Basiliko Port and we talked to VTTV and Basiliko Cement Company. I learned about the process of making cement from beginning to end. First, they started by brining in limestone and other rocks from their quarry. Then, they put it through the first grinder to cut up the big…

Final Days in Costa Rica

After my 2 weeks here in Costa Rica I have learned a plethora amount of information relating to the design process for each step of the supply chain process. Firstly, I will discuss my experience with the first step starting at the farm. At the farm one may not expect marketing to be a useful…

Final Blog: Service in Costa Rica

My team’s topic was service which deals with how companies can maintain returning customers and produce a product people actually want. Throughout our trip, we have taken many tours which showcase a different part of the coffee supply chain. This is what I’ve learned about each step in the chain as it relates to my…

Goodbye Cyprus:(

I can’t believe our trip is over already. Between company visits and cultural stops, I felt like it flew by so fast. Before this trip, I had barely even heard of Cyprus. Now that it’s over, I can’t wait to come back! Every morning in our hotel we would have breakfast downstairs. Josette and I…

The Final Day

Today we spent our final day on the island of Cyprus at the beach. We were on the bus by 9am, in order to get COVID tested. We had to get a test in order to return back to the United States tomorrow. Afterwards we went to Larnaca and spent the majority of our day…

Cyprus 2’s Last (Full) Day in Cyprus!

Today was the last full day we had in Cyprus. It was bittersweet to say the least. I am excited to go back home and spend time with my family but this trip was so much fun. I met so many people and learned so much, I will definitely think about doing another program next…

Last Day:(

Today was the last day of our trip. I was sad because it was our final day in Cyprus, but honestly I was feeling a little worn out and ready to fly home. This trip has been so amazing, but I am definitely ready to not wake up at 8am. Today we woke up and…

Day 10: human centered design is everywhere

I started the morning by going to the coffee shop, Coffee Berry, since we had a slightly later start to the day. I was able to get an iced latte, and it was hands down the best coffee I have ever had in my entire life. Then, we headed to pwc for our presentations by…

Day 11

The final day. Our day started at 8 AM with a visit to the Port of Vasilikos. We started by hearing from Vasiliko Cement Works on their supply chain and how they make concrete. I never thought I would be interested in this topic, but Vasiliko Cement Works did an amazing job keeping us engaged…

Day 9: a blast from the past

Today, we crossed the border to North Cyprus where there is currently a Turkish occupation. The first stop was the old city of Famagusta. It was like walking into a time capsule from 50 years ago because it was like a real ghost town. The buildings were stuck in the old age, you could see…

Day 10

Today started off spectacularly, as it was our latest departure of the trip so far: 11 AM. Our first stop was PwC, a consulting firm that is a leader in design thinking and innovation. As we ascended their elevators once we arrived, i could immediately tell this visit was going to be different than all…

Day 11: Goodbye to Our Little Heaven

Yiasas! It’s officially the last day and I’m super sad to be leaving. I’ve grown super attached to Cyprus. I know I’m gonna be craving pita, souvlaki, tzatziki, and especially halloumi when I get back home. None of it will taste as good as it does here. This morning we had company visits with Vassiliko…

Alexa, Play “Castle on the Hill” by Ed Sheeran

(5/17/22) As I said in my previous post, it is getting sadder and sadder that this trip is quickly approaching its end. Today was the last day of cultural visits planned by our program, and it was definitely the most scenic and beautiful site that we have seen. After meeting at 8:30 AM, we departed…

From Panthers to Ticos

1. We learned a lot about different farming techniques and aspects from traveling to various plantations. Summing up the different approaches, we saw coop farming (Dota), family owned (banana) and large scale farming (pineapple farm, Doka). Co-op farming was unique in the sense that it was made up of 900 small farms and was, more…

Day 11: Closing the Book to Cyprus

Sadly enough, today was our final day in Cyprus. We began our day at 8AM to take a COVID-19 test at the local pharmacy for our return to the states. Fortunately, everyone received a negative result. After, we made our way over to Vasiliko Port where we learned about the manufacturing processes of cement production….