Hola! My name is Natasha Montesdeoca and I am a rising sophomore in the College of Business Administration and the David C. Frederick Honors College, pursuing a degree in Marketing, as well as a Digital Media Certificate. I am involved in many amazing clubs and organizations across the university, such as the Pitt Dance Ensemble, Ballet Club at Pitt, Women in Business, Fashion Business Association, and I look forward to joining the American Marketing Association as well next Fall! I live five hours east of Pittsburgh, in Easton, PA and I love traveling and exploring new places! Thanks to the amazing Plus3 study abroad program offered at the University of Pittsburgh, this weekend I am headed to one of the most beautiful countries in the world, Costa Rica!
Costa Rica is home to some of the most recognized national parks, tourist attractions, and historic sites in the world! The country helps run the international agriculture production system and is highly recognized for its coffee and banana production. I am eager to learn about their supply chain management directly from local manufacturers, as that is one of the core areas of the course! Learning the process of how these products are created, exported, and distributed to the United States and to the rest of the world will certainly be a fascinating experience! I can’t wait to participate in the local coffee production tours, the chocolate and strawberry tours, the Cloud Forest Hike, and take dance lessons as a group!
I am so grateful to have the opportunity to participate in Plus 3, especially to visit the country I have wanted to visit for so long! I am thrilled to travel across the globe and be able to maximize my college education by experiencing this course hands-on, and gaining in-depth knowledge on the Costa Rican culture and the impact of their coffee and banana supply chain in the most organic way possible. I have never traveled to Costa Rica, so I am incredibly excited to learn all about the country, take hundreds of pictures, and share my experiences with you all!