Ciao a tutti! My name is Cameron Stumpf and I am a junior studying Finance in the College of Business Administration here at Pitt. Aside from Finance, I also am pursuing a minor in Economics, Film & Media Studies, and a certificate in Global Economics and Global Governance. The certificate in Global Economics requires students to complete a study abroad requirement, which is how I landed here at Pitt GBI Florence. We were offered the choice between Florence, Sydney, and London. I had recently traveled to Italy with my Grandmother and fallen in love with the Italian lifestyle and culture, so the choice was easy for me. Through this program I am really hoping to gain a new perspective on the every day lives that other people life throughout the world. From the moment the plane landed, it was clear that life here is far different than what I am used to in Pittsburgh. One of my main goals while studying here is to connect with the local culture and truly understand the beauty of diversity amongst people in Europe. In the United States we are presented a very limited view regarding the differences of the normal European lifestyle. Living in the city center in Florence has already given me plenty of culture shocks that I would have never experienced in the North America. I am hoping that these realizations will help broaden my understanding of the global business climate, and aid in my career development moving forward.
Our university here is extremely welcoming and understanding of the cultural differences we bring with us from an American university. Classes are very small here in Florence, which allows us to make very personal and meaningful relationships with our professors. This gives us us a chance to further understand concepts that may be foreign or new to us, because we can directly communicate with our professors about ideas that may be difficult to grasp or learn. One similarity between the two institutions is the qualifications our professors have. Our professors for Pitt Business often have some type of field experience within the business world, working for real world companies. That is no different here in Florence. All of our professors have amazing real world experience that directly applies to concepts we learn within the classroom. It is such a privilege to be able to ask these professionals about their experiences within the global business environment.
I was lucky enough to be put into an apartment with five other Pitt students. We are living in the city center of Florence, walking distance from a grocery store, pharmacy, and many wonderful cafes and restaurants. One of my favorite parts about our living arrangements is the Italian feeling of our apartment. Florence is a very humid city, which requires us to open the windows every morning to circulate air within the apartment. We also do not have a dryer or dish washer, forcing us to truly immerse ourselves in the European lifestyle. I would be lying if I said that adapting to the new living arrangements away from my loved ones and friends back home was easy, but my roommates have made this new environment very comfortable to live in. The first few nights were definitely odd, but after some time it is easy to recognize how lucky I am to have this opportunity, which puts everything into perspective when you may get anxious or sad about being away from home.
