Hi everyone!
My name is Andrew Pruden, and I am a junior pursuing a double major in Political Science and Computational Social Science with a minor in Spanish. I just wrapped up a fantastic summer working as the Policy and Government Affairs Intern for the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, a local nonprofit dedicated to the revitalization and economic proliferation of Pittsburgh and the surrounding region. Following my undergraduate studies, I hope to pursue a career in international relations, although I’m still narrowing down exactly what avenue within the field I want to follow. I spent much of my time this past year working as the Special Events Director for the Pitt Program Council, during which I had the unique chance to plan large-scale live programming for the undergraduate student body. I had the pleasure of overseeing events like the Annual Bonfire and Pep Rally, Fall Fest, and Bigelow Bash, which were amazing experiences that I will never forget.
This fall I will be studying abroad in Madrid, Spain through IES Abroad’s Language and Area Studies in Madrid program. I will be spending 15 weeks living and studying in Spain’s beautiful capital and traveling on weekends to other countries and regions of Spain, and I couldn’t be more excited! I had the opportunity to briefly visit Madrid last summer following an international tour with Pitt’s Heinz Chapel Choir and I immediately fell in love with the city. Everything about its atmosphere excited me, and I knew it would be the perfect place to spend a semester.
One of the elements of this program that made it most appealing to me was its diverse variety of courses and programming, all of which are taught in fully immersive Spanish. I was delighted to learn that I could both finish my Spanish minor abroad as well as make progress on my Political Science major. In doing so, I’ll have the chance to learn from Spanish faculty who bring incredibly unique perspectives to the subject matters I’ll be studying, which include international geopolitics, contemporary Spanish history, and Spanish film, to name a few,
I will also be taking part in a three-credit internship with La Casa do Brasil, an affiliate of the Brazilian Embassy in Spain that provides residential services and cultural experiences for those with an interest in Brazil. I am confident that the language skills I will develop and the expanded global perspective I will gain from this experience will be immensely beneficial in my personal, professional, and academic life.
I look forward to navigating the inevitable challenges that come with living in a foreign country, as I know these will inevitably make me more independent and capable in unfamiliar environments. Most importantly, I am thrilled and honored to participate in such an exciting program that blends my academic interests with my desire to broaden my cultural horizons.
I can’t wait to share my journey with you all!