Hello everyone! My name is Daria Osiian and I am a sophomore at the University of Pittsburgh. I am a student within the College of Business Administration with a major in Finance and a minor in statistics, pursuing an additional International Business Certificate.

I’m from Orenburg, it’s a city in southwest Russia, near the border with Kazakhstan. I think that I’m more person of “numbers”, because I like mathematics, statistics, and etc. One of the reasons I was planning on doing a finance major is because it’s connected to numbers. University of Pittsburgh has a high rated College of Business Administration, that’s why I have decided to apply to Pitt,  and I have not been disappointed by my choice. My favorite thing about being a Pitt student is the friendly atmosphere, starting with the library, where you can chat with your friends or meet new people, ending with the dorms.

I’m a studеnt, so I study a lоt but as a studеnt I also try to hаve fun and spеnd my frеe time in the way I wаnt to. Usually whеn I’m tirеd, I like rеlaxing. I can gо out somеwhere with my friеnds, or go to the pаrk. I also like gоing to eat something nicе, to cook somеthing tasty or just wаtch a movie and try nоt to think about anything else. The оther way of spеnding my frеe time if I am not tired, is trаvelling. I think trаvelling is the most exciting activity fоr me. I can mеet new pеople and discоver something nеw. I really think thаt travelling to othеr countries or gоing for a small trip arоund your city thаt you stay in cаn be a wоnderful thing becаuse it gives you pоsitive emotions and hеlps you relаx.

There are many different leadership skills required in the workplace: communication, creativity, motivation. This program can help me to gain all these skills. Communication includes not only power to inspire and motivate others, but also the ability to be a good listener. I can become a better communicator through connecting to other students. As we engage in the simulation we will make decisions and to make them, we have to develop the creativity. As Steve Jobs once said, “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” Leaders need to inspire their workers to do the tasks well. I will learn the foundations of leadership, and I am sure that motivation is one of the essential leadership skills. Leadership in Global Context is a great chance to find my own leadership style so I can develop it myself in the future.

My personal definition of leadership is that Leaders set direction and help themselves and others to move forward. They create an inspiring vision, they motivate and inspire others to reach that vision. Leaders need to be flexible so they can modify their own style in response to unpredictable circumstances. I selected this program, because it can show me what traits I need to improve and what character features I should try to remove. This program is an opportunity to become a better version of myself, to become a better leader.