Hello everyone! I am living in Scape Darling Square and it is a fantastic location! I enjoy being so close to Chinatown and all of the amazing food places because it has been a great way to get closer to my roommates as we can go out to eat together. There are lots of shops and markets in relation to my dorm, which have been so fun to explore together. There is also a huge light festival called Vivid going on so the area is very lively! The CEA CAPA center where my classes are located is only about a 5 minute walk away. I live with 7 other girls and they are all incredible people. Two of them are from Pitt, in addition to one from UNCA, one from Syracuse, and the rest from the University of Minnesota, so there has been a lot to learn about everyone! This is my first time sharing a room with someone because I was a freshman during the pandemic so I was a little worried, but I feel that I have adjusted to my living situation better than I expected. I am grateful that I get to experience sharing a room with someone because I now know what it is like to be up late just talking and laughing until my stomach hurts. My host institution is very different from how I have lived at Pitt the past 3 years as I have been off campus in a house or small apartment. I also never got the typical freshman experience like I had mentioned before so it feels like I am getting that back through this trip, which is really special for me. The host institution is similar to Pitt in the way that we are situated so close to the city with lots to do. 

I am interning for a kids soccer club called Hills Puma FC for sports management and marketing. One of my roommates is also working for the same club so we can work together and generate more ideas on how we can contribute to their organization. In addition to my internship, I am taking a Global Internship course as well as Sports Management. I haven’t started with my internship at this point, but I hope to work with the team’s merchandise and website in addition to teaming up with my friend to implement workouts, post-practice/game stretches, wellness tips, etc. for the kids and parents to use. My role is generally remote, but we may even attend some of the kid’s practices and help out in any way that we can with things such as equipment or coaching. In order to be successful in my industry, I believe I need to keep myself organized, be proactive and take initiative, ask questions, be creative, and keep an open mind to new ideas and ways of learning. Although my internship and classes haven’t started yet, the program has had a lot of other activities planned over the past weekend so that the group could bond and get to learn more about the beautiful city we are so lucky to be studying in. We visited the Blue Mountains for some amazing views and a beautiful hike down to the waterfall, fed kangaroos and saw other native animals including koalas at the Featherdale Wildlife Park, and went on a cruise around the harbor to see the Sydney Opera House.