Hello from Sydney! My name is Aidan McGinley, and I am a rising junior from a Philadelphia suburb, majoring in Accounting and Information Systems at Pitt.

I have been able to explore these academic interests of mine while interning in the finance department at a logistics company, and at Starship Technologies, a delivery robot startup based in Estonia. While these have been rewarding, I wanted to have an experience in a global setting. For my career, I hope to work for a large international company where I can use the skills I gained from my different experiences in an accounting role.

As someone who has never been away from the US, Mexico, and Canada, I am eager to visit different continents to continue these interests. Hearing about the GBI programs through CEA CAPA made me want to get the experience of working and studying in a different country. I also wanted to do this because I felt that it would challenge me since I would need to adapt to a new place.

After doing research on the different GBI cities, I chose Sydney because of its global significance and its culture. I have always had an interest in the region, and this would be an ideal opportunity to finally go. My goals for this program are to apply my academic interests, learn about Sydney’s culture, and to gain knowledge and skills that will make me a more fit candidate for a job.

During my time in Sydney, I will be an information systems intern at Wavelength International, a medical recruiting company. Wavelength is conducting a major digital transformation project that includes building and implementing new software systems to streamline various operational processes within the company. I will also be taking an Urban Studies class that will meet a gen-ed requirement. The combination of these two will allow me to immerse myself in Sydney’s urban landscape and work culture and how it relates to complex business processes.

This past semester, I took the CliftonStrengths Assessment which is a test that examines what my biggest strengths are and how they can be applied in work and academics. My top 5 strengths are adaptability, harmony, relator, learner, and achiever. I plan on leveraging these strengths to succeed in my program.

Using my strength as a learner will help me get everything I can out of my internship. During my past internship experiences, I have learned how important it is to be proactive when asking for tasks and I will be sure to do it in Australia.

Being an achiever will help me to succeed in my classwork while in Sydney. I hope to get everything I can out of my classwork while here. I am interested in what I will learn, and I hope to achieve a solid rapport with my course instructors and my classmates. While doing this, I hope to make my internship a valuable experience and have time to explore the region. This will require time management as a priority to get everything I can out of the trip.

As someone who places emphasis on their relationship with others, I hope to create a strong bond with my managers, professors, and others I may encounter during the trip. My strength of adaptability will help me succeed in this new environment, and it will allow me to help support others that I may be working, studying, or living with.

I look forward to the rest of this trip, and I am excited for everything that is in store. I am thankful for the support from the University of Pittsburgh, family, and friends to help me achieve this opportunity.