Hello!
My name is Molly Shannon and I am a junior at the University of Pittsburgh studying Accounting and Business Information Systems. I am also pursuing a minor in Chinese and a Certificate in Leadership and Ethics. On campus, I worked as a Tafel Center Assistant, the advising office in the business school, and was President of the Society for International Business, an internationally focused club on campus I helped create. I am from a small town about 20 minutes outside of Philadelphia known as Phoenixville.

Pittsburgh has been my home for the past 3 years, however, I am extremely excited to start this new adventure to Dublin for the next four months! In Dublin, I will be taking Business Information System classes as well as several Irish culture classes. As a business major, who is also very internationally focused, this experience will be amazing to help understand what it is like to be fully submersed in another culture. I know that this experience, although daunting, will be incredibly important to help me better understand different cultures and work on my professional communication skills. I am so excited for this semester!

I have always wanted to visit Ireland to learn more about my heritage. My great grandmother grew up in Ireland, specifically a small-town known as Derry which is located in Northern Ireland. She lived there until she was 26 before moving to Canada, and then later Pennsylvania! I am extremely excited to visit her hometown while studying abroad this semester. My grandmother has even specifically asked for keepsakes from Derry to bring back for her.

The more I think about this upcoming semester and the length of time I will be away from home (four months!), the more nervous I become…in fact I am now less than a week away from my flight and I am not even close to being packed. I just can’t believe this is finally happening! I’ve always wanted to study abroad, I’ve said so since before I even began college, but I never thought this dream would ever come true. I had to overcome a ton of obstacles to make this happen, but it was absolutely worth it! I am incredibly grateful for the scholarships I received to make this happen as well as everything my parents have done to make this dream a reality. I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for the incredible support system I am so lucky to have! Thank you to every single person who has helped me get to this point! I am so incredibly grateful and ready to start this new adventure!

I’ll be sure to keep you all updated as I begin this process! The next two days are completely devoted to packing and last-minute preparations. In fact, I’m going to go finish my laundry now and start packing…Before I know it, I’ll be on a plane to Ireland!

Thanks for reading and make sure to check back every month for a few more blog posts about my adventure in Ireland!

Cheers for now! xx