Hi! My name is Ava Eros. I am a student at the University of Pittsburgh who just finished my third year. I grew up in California and decided to come to Pittsburgh for college to step out of my comfort zone, expand my exposure to different parts of the country, and experience a culture different from the West Coast. My interests are working out/lifting, health in general, travel and the outdoors, music, and spending time with those close to me.

I am pursuing a Marketing degree in the Pitt Business program and a certificate in Leadership and Ethics. I originally came to Pitt with a major in Neuroscience in mind. While I enjoyed the subject, I realized a degree in Business would better prepare me for the possible future careers I want to pursue. With neuroscience, I have always been interested in the ethical side of hard science, but after two years in college, I came to the realization that my personality and upbringing might be better for a business degree. After my first year in marketing, I see myself as better suited for my future goals with the curriculum I have been learning. 

While I am still trying to fully shape my career goals, I am interested in business ethics and marketing, particularly in a science-based organization. With my strong base knowledge in science and a year away from a degree in Marketing, an organization like this would best suit my interests. I am also highly motivated to work internationally, potentially in an international marketing position. Travel has always been something I value and find important. My dream would be to see the world and experience different cultures as a career path. While I do not have a strictly defined path for my professional career, I know my values and want those to align with the company or area of work I pursue. 

I will be participating in the Leadership in the Himalayas international program this Summer 2024. This program focuses on utilizing experimental learning and outdoor recreational activities to better understand what leadership means and looks like, myself as a leader and as a whole. We will be taking courses to gain medical and survival knowledge before we endure a 10-day trek in the Himalayas, where that knowledge and individual leadership skills will be tested in real-life and real-time situations. 

I chose this program because it aligns with my values. It combines culture, travel, nature, personal growth, and leadership skills into one exciting yet slightly daunting adventure. Even though we spent weeks preparing for the program, I still am unsure what to expect, which intrigues me. I hope to spend some time with myself, disconnect from the everyday world I am familiar with, and push myself physically and mentally. Cardio isn’t my go-to form of working out, but I hope to challenge myself to be as active and productive as possible with a good mindset. Academically, I want to gain knowledge about survival skills. Assuming I will enjoy this trip, I hope to do something like this again in the future. I have always loved camping and being in nature, but I never had the full skill set to be confident enough to do it on my own. Also, we learned about different types of leaders before the trip, and I am interested to see how those leadership theories come into play. Professionally, I hope this experience will confirm my desire to work internationally. I didn’t have opportunities to travel to other countries when I was younger, but I have always been fascinated by places other than the United States and want to experience them first-hand, so I am expecting this experience to only further confirm that feeling. I can’t wait to see what India has in store for me!