Hello! My name is Matan Cohen and I am a rising Junior at the University of Pittsburgh. I am currently studying Economics and Psychology, with minors in Political Science and Philosophy. After graduation, I plan to attend law school, although I am not yet quite sure what type of law I want to practice. In my free time, I like to play (and watch) football and basketball, read fiction novels, and learn new recipes.

Throughout high school, I always knew I wanted to spend some time studying abroad once I went to university. However, since I chose to pursue a rigorous and time consuming course load, I thought that it would be impossible for me to find the time to study abroad for an entire semester. I knew that summer abroad programs existed, but I felt that I needed to spend those months working internships to build experience for my future legal career. So, when I discovered the 8 week Internship in Portugal program, I knew this was the perfect opportunity for me to gain hands on experience while also exploring a beautiful country AND acquire academic credits in the process. I applied, got accepted, and they assigned me to an internship with the Department of European Affairs in the Directorate-General of the Economy; a perfect fit!

Over the course of this program, there are a few main goals I hope to achieve. Professionally, I want to learn more about the legal intricacies of economic markets, learn what the actual work is like (not just studying theory), and make strong connections with my coworkers. Socially, I hope to make many close friends with the other students on this program. Even though the students come from all over the United States, I plan to maintain the relationships I build here long after the program ends. Finally, from a personal perspective, I hope to appreciate this experience for what it is. I don’t want to have many specific expectations, inevitably feeling disappointed if/when some of them don’t work out the way I want. I just want to spend these two months making friends, working hard, exploring, and living in the moment.