“Just a small town girl living in a lonely world. She took the midnight train going anywhere.” -Journey. These lyrics perfectly describe who I am, but instead of a small town, I am from The Big Apple; instead of anywhere, it is London, England.

My name is Jessie Li, and I am an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh studying Marketing. This coming fall semester, I will be a senior hoping to graduate in the spring and pursue a career in marketing or graphic design. I am very excited to announce that this summer, I am studying abroad in the Global Business Institute program in London!

I chose this program because I think it is a great opportunity to learn how I can quickly adapt to changes in my work environment and how differently organizations work compared to the United States. I want to learn how to be flexible to cultural, environmental, and social changes as this would be my first time traveling internationally. For the next six weeks, I hope to gain an understanding of the lives of Londoners, what their work experience is like, and the skillset it takes to thrive in this industry. Finally, I want to know: is it true that “if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere”?

My most outstanding Clifton strength is “Futuristic,” meaning that I love looking forward to what could happen in the future. During my internship experience, I hope to use this strength to set continuously higher standards for myself while also learn from any mistakes. I hope growth will be reflected in my work each time. I also can not wait to see what the next few weeks have in store for me.