Hello everyone! My name is Olivia Wolf and I am entering my junior year at Pitt Business with a major in Global Management and a minor in Spanish. I am delighted to take part in yet another amazing Pitt GEO program this summer: the International Internship Program in Madrid!
I am from Allentown, Pennsylvania where I live with my parents and my older sister. I have 3 pets: two cats named Mila and Chi, and one dog named Evie. One of my favorite “hobbies” is traveling. This past summer, I had the amazing opportunity to participate in Plus3 Ecuador. The 2 weeks I spent abroad cemented my love for traveling and experiencing new cultures. This opportunity, which also happened to be the first time I had ever left the continent, introduced me to the amazing world of Pitt GEO programs. I hope I can apply everything I have learned during my time in Plus3 Ecuador, specifically regarding flexibility and cross-cultural communication and understanding, to my new experiences here in Madrid. Last summer, I also had the chance to visit Peru with my boyfriend and his family. I got to see one of the wonders of the world, Machu Picchu, in person as well as countless other past Inca cities. Last summer, I also took my first trip to the west coast of the U.S. in Los Angeles. This summer, I am so grateful to once again get the chance to travel and experience a completely new culture and continent! In fact, I was so excited that my family and I decided to arrive in Spain a few days earlier than the start of the program to explore both Barcelona and Madrid. So far, I love Madrid, including its breathtaking architecture, the rich history, and the kind and very helpful people. Aside from traveling, I love music! In high school, I played the cello for my school’s orchestra, and I currently play classical and flamenco guitar (yet another reason why I am so excited to be in Spain). Although I won’t have my guitar with me during my two months here, I hope to gain an even deeper understanding and appreciation of flamenco guitar. It is my dream to see a flamenco performance in person, and I know I will get to see the best of the best in Spain.
Although I do not have much experience professionally as this is my first internship, I am very excited to start working with SegurCaixa Adeslas, a Spanish insurance company that is partnered with one of the biggest banks in Spain. Since meeting my coworkers and supervisor, I cannot wait to begin my first internship. I am sure that it will be a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn and create strong connections.
In terms of my academic and professional goals for this program, I hope to develop my cross-cultural communication skills. Spain has such a different communication style than the U.S., and with this being my first internship, I believe I have so much to learn. I also intend for this experience to help me develop my Spanish skills. Living in Madrid for 2 months will certainly help with this, but the immersion I will get from living with and working with native Spanish speakers is extremely valuable. I view this program as the next big milestone in my journey to becoming fluent in Spanish. As a Global Management major and Spanish minor, these aforementioned skills of fluency in Spanish and developing better cross-cultural communication skills are necessary for my major and to be truly successful in my academic career. These are also the reasons why I chose to pursue IIP Madrid. Becoming fluent in Spanish, or at the very least increasing my proficiency, is one of my largest personal, academic, and professional goals.
When it comes to my personal goals, I think IIP Madrid is truly an amazing opportunity to form strong connections with others, hopefully connections that are life-long. I cannot wait to get to know my coworkers and host family better, as well as the other students participating in IIP Madrid. Spain has always been a bucket list country for me to visit. Not only is it the birthplace of the genre of guitar I play, but it has such an interesting culture and history. Being able to see buildings like La Sagrada Familia and Palacio Real, or some of my favorite paintings like The Garden of Earthly Delights or the Black Paintings of Goya in person has brought me so much joy and fulfillment. I am looking forward to making this experience an unforgettable time in my life.