Hello! My name is Claire Leonard, and I am currently in the second semester of my sophomore year here at the University of Pittsburgh. I am majoring in Supply Chain Management and Finance, with a minor in Comparative Political Science. I am also pursuing the College of Business’ Certificate of Leadership and Ethics and Certificate in International Business. Slightly less boring, I am a member of the Supply Chain Management Club, Real Estate Association, and the fundraising chair for Pink Warriors! Pink Warriors is a club that focuses on campus-wide education about the signs and dangers of breast cancer as well as raising funds to help those affected by it (shameless plug – if you’re interested in joining or donating please let me know!). This semester, I also recently joined Smart Women Securities, so I’m looking forward to learning more about investing.

Growing up in the suburbs right outside of Pittsburgh, I always thought I’d be jet setting off to some university far away – not 20 minutes away from my parents. Pitt wasn’t originally somewhere I had ever considered, especially coming from a Penn State family who literally has an entire Penn State themed room/shrine. After my mom persistently asked me to just consider touring Pitt, I went to one admitted students’ day and fell in love. I instantly knew Pitt Business was where I’d end up! When I’m not drowning in schoolwork (which is a rare occurrence), I spend my free time reading, painting, and watching Penguins games. I love traveling and have been fortunate enough to have visited several countries in Europe and the Caribbean. My family and I are all certified scuba divers, so we love to go diving when we get the chance!

The main aspect that motivated me to apply to this program was that it was international. I love what I have been learning in the business school, but I do wish there was more global academic activities I could be involved with. My minor, comparative political science, focuses much more global studies than any of my business classes, but I am excited to gain some insight into what working with an international client in my main field of study is like.

My primary career goal has always been to work for a global company, work in a culturally diverse environment, and be able to professionally travel internationally. This year, this project might not necessarily include traveling to another country, but I will still be gaining hands-on experience with a foreign client. I’m excited to have an opportunity to collaborate closely with people across the globe! As an added bonus, I have taken 14 years of Spanish classes, so I am relatively fluent. Luckily, this is one of the primary languages in my client’s country, seeing as they are located in the South American nation of Bolivia. I have also always been involved in some type of charity work, so I am looking forward to working on a project that benefits a nonprofit while also being able to apply the knowledge and skills I’ve gained in my business classes.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, I will miss out on the traditional consulting project and study abroad trip for the certificate in leadership and ethics global service-learning class; so I was excited to take advantage of the opportunity when I saw that a program was being offered with the same concept and clients. My hopes with this program are that I obviously gain some experience, but also to get more familiar with the region and industry of the project and make an impact. Being a current sophomore, I have not had any previous professional opportunities such as an internship; I can’t say I’ve gained too much business experience in my years as a nanny! I hope this program will give me the chance to expand my consulting, cross-cultural, and time management skills. I also want to build more on some other soft business skills such as communication, problem solving, and collaboration. I’m fairly certain about venturing into the supply chain and finance sectors of business, but this project will expose me to a variety of roles and areas within the field. I think my brain is much more attuned to logistics and analytics rather than social media marketing, but I will give it my best shot! This should give me a clearer idea of my career goals and where I will fit in an organization someday.

For this project, my team and I will be working for Fundación CEOLI, a non-governmental organization located in the South American country of Bolivia. More specifically, CEOLI is in Cochabamba, a city nestled in a valley surrounded by the Andes Mountains. CEOLI’s mission is to assist individuals with disabilities as well as advocate for their education and integration into society. CEOLI provides many well-rounded services, including motor skills, language and communication, academics, psychosocial skills, and autonomy.

This year, our team’s deliverables will be focused around planning an art show to benefit CEOLI. This includes developing a solid project map with timelines, budgets, marketing ideas, and logistics plans. Similar to the responsibilities of the past few years’ projects, we will also be researching more resources to improve CEOLI’s economic situation. To ensure the smooth running of CEOLI for many years to come, we will be seeking out new financial aid resources. This may include investigating grants, donors, and scholarships.

Hopefully we will be able to present an innovative and impactful final product to CEOLI and help them in the best way we can. I am super excited to get to know my client and my team better, I can’t wait to start!