Hi everyone, I’m Bryan Runyon and I’m originally from Wall, New Jersey (near the shore). My interests include rock music, writing, sci-fi, professional baseball, football, and basketball, as well as college football and basketball (Mets, Giants, Knicks, Pitt).

I’m a junior supply chain management and business information systems double major at CBA. I intend to pursue a career in supply chain, preferably in a healthcare-related organization. I also have two years of internship experience in residential and commercial lending.

This January I’ll be traveling to London for Pitt’s semester-long Global Business Institute program. I chose London for a variety of reasons. Firstly, London is one of the most diverse cities in the world. From the variety of food, ethnic culture, art, and history, “the world’s most global city” has something to offer everyone. Secondly, England is the gateway for Western culture into Europe. As someone who has never experienced Europe firsthand, the thought of being a short train or plane ride from some of the world’s other great cities (such as Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, Berlin, and countless others) is incredibly exciting. Lastly, I am eager to make note of the cultural differences between British and American societies. As someone who grew up close to New York City, it will be fascinating to compare and contrast the urban routines of Londoners vs. New Yorkers.

This abroad program also fits ideally into my academic goals and requirements. I plan on enrolling in Intro to Shakespeare, London Across History, Literature, and Film, Managing Global Supply Chains, and the internship for credit. The Shakespeare course fulfills my literature requirement with a subject that both piques my interest and is a unique experience to the country in which I would be studying it. The London cultural course, likewise, fulfills an art requirement while exploring an several humanities interests I was involved in during high school but rarely since then. As a supply chain major, the global supply chain course fulfills a core requirement, and in what better way than in a global setting. Finally, the internship may not fulfill any academic requirements I have, but it does increase my professional development and increase my desirability when it comes time for me to apply for jobs post-graduation. During my abroad decision process, one of the things I liked best about the GBI London program is its emphasis on cultural experience while not slowing down its students’ academic development.

If my experience in London is anything like my one from Plus3 Vietnam a year and a half ago, I am certain I will be shaped by it for the rest of my life. Besides the obvious benefits of increasing cultural and worldly awareness, I believe living, working, and traveling independently across a continent I’ve never visited before will help me grow socially, professionally, and into a more mature young adult than I was when I left. Personally, I have grown a lot in college, living away from home for so many months has taught me many of the realities of living as a working adult. However, there is something about navigating those same pitfalls in another part of the world that makes the space between Pittsburgh and my home a little bit smaller; and by the time I get back, maybe some of those challenges will seem smaller too.