Hello everyone, y bienvenidos a todos, to my blog for my summer semester abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina! My name is Juli Garey-Perrine and I am a Junior at the University of Pittsburgh College of Business Administration pursuing Accounting and Business Information Systems majors and a minor in Spanish. I am very excited to be participating in the Global Business Institute program for my first ever trip abroad and am looking forward to sharing all of my experiences exploring such an amazing city!
To share a little bit about myself: I was born and raised in a few different small towns between Pennsylvania and New Jersey having moved a lot throughout my life but have called Pittsburgh home for almost three years now. I come from a big, crazy family including three younger brothers, an older sister, my mom, stepfather, and many cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents that I am very close with and visit as much as I can. In my free time here in Pittsburgh, I enjoy spending time with my roommates with activities such as bingeing Netflix and Hulu, visiting museums, and going to the movies. My other hobbies include reading, hiking, and playing with my cat Clover. Typically, however, in my time outside of class I am working at CVS Pharmacy downtown.
Academically, the past few years at the University of Pittsburgh have been some of the most rewarding years of my life. Business and technology have always been main interests in mine as I took many different business-related courses in high school and participated actively in the Future Business Leaders of America club. Additionally, I have always had a passion for the Hispanic language and culture after being exposed to Spanish courses since elementary school. With the two majors and minor that I am pursuing, I am hoping to have a career in public accounting with a focus in international business. Global competency is one of the most sought-after values in the professional world and a strong passion of mine. Despite this being my first trip outside of the country, I know that in the future I want to travel and interact with as many different cultures as possible. I have also participated in many different philanthropic activities during my time here at the University which has led to my desire to intern for a non-profit organization.
The six-week Global Business Institute program in Buenos Aires was a perfect option for my goals post-graduation as I get to participate in a college class at the Universidad Austral while also having a part-time accounting internship in Spanish. Although I have not yet found out my internship placement, I am hoping to intern with a non-profit organization and Argentina seems like the perfect place to pursue this type of career as it is a developing country. No matter where I am placed, however, I am excited for the opportunity to meet new people and learn first hand about the business world in South America. Additionally, with not only participating in a Spanish-spoken internship but also a course taught in the language, I look forward to the opportunity to achieve Spanish fluency and complete my minor–which is one of the main reasons I chose the city of Buenos Aires and its rich Hispanic culture.
I know already that this program is going to change my life both personally and professionally and can not wait to share my growth and experiences with everyone during my travels abroad. The countdown has officially begun! Hasta pronto, Buenos Aires.