Hi everyone! My name is Sloane, and I am an Environmental Engineering student doing a study abroad experience this semester in Ireland. I personally chose this program because of its connections to Pitt’s engineering program. This semester I want to take it easy and really be able to enjoy the culture and the experience. During…
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Fayette County Site Visit 1
Last weekend, I joined my cohort on a site visit to Fayette County, PA as part of our project with the Appalachian Collegiate Research Imitative (ACRI) and the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). As Fayette County is the key focus of our research, this visit provided us with insights into the state of the community, economic…
Finding Growth in the Unexpected
Looking back on my time in Costa Rica, I can honestly say that the experience was different from what I expected, but in ways that helped me grow. I went into the program excited to learn Spanish and experience another culture, and while those were both important parts of my time abroad, I also had…
Learning to Find Home Away from Home
Going into my experience in Costa Rica, I expected the language barrier to be difficult, but I don’t think I understood just how much it would affect my everyday life. I had studied abroad before, so I thought I had a pretty good idea of what to expect. However, this experience was entirely different from…
Learning to Communicate in Costa Rica
One of my first “aha” moments in Costa Rica was realizing just how intense the language barrier would be. I had a very basic understanding of Spanish, and my host parents did not speak any English. I knew going into the program that communication would be a challenge, but I don’t think I fully understood…
Who Am I Before Costa Rica?
Hi! My name is Alyssa Kocon, and I am currently a senior at the University of Pittsburgh pursuing a degree in communication as well as a certificate in human rights and social justice. This is my fourth semester at Pitt, spending two of those semesters at Pitt Greensburg, and previously transferring from Community College of…
ACRI Project Introduction
Hello! My name is Eman Marai and I am a second-year Political Science student at Pitt with minors in Arabic and Global Policy. I also work as a Peer Success Guide in Pitt’s Student Success Hub, where I support the Office of the Provost and connect students to on-campus resources. This past summer, I served…
One last tidbit
One thing I found super interesting was the frequent use of AI imagery on large billboards throughout the city. At least half of all advertisements were noticeably AI-generated, which I think is quite different from what I see in the US. It was an observation that I am still quite interested in understanding today and…
Looking Forward
As a young director who was pushing far beyond my previous work, I think the greatest hurdle to overcome was the immense workload, organization, and confidence required to pull our project off. I remember constantly planning our next moves, the next shot, and the next shooting day. Our painter, my assistant director, and the many…
Ditch Google Maps!
One thing I love about exploring new places is memorizing the layout of the city that I am in. I enjoyed ignoring my phone, picking a direction to walk, and walking across the city from memory. By the end of the trip, I could just about get anywhere in Dakar without Google Maps– at one…