¡Hola! My name is Anna and I’m a senior graduating this August with a BS in Economics and a certificate in Global Studies, but before that, I’m going to Madrid for my internship. I was born and raised in Maryland, but when it came time to choose a college, I decided to leave my Old Bay roots behind and move out of state. No regrets (except during winter). In my free time, I like to listen to music (preferably R&B and reggaeton) and crochet.

Professionally, I’ve worked customer-service based office jobs since high school. A year ago, I landed my first internship at BNY here in Pittsburgh. My job was to help the insurance trust department with excel sheets and handling client documentation. Through this experience, I gained exposure to the various business areas of the bank, engaged in career development workshops and networking with corporate leaders, and helped facilitate communication between tax professionals and clients.
This past spring, I took a pivot into higher education and worked as an administrative research assistant in Pitt’s Office of Undergraduate Research. My role focused on the research proposal process in Pitt and how scientific research is conducted in institutions. I worked closely with the Office of Sponsored Programs and the Office of Research Protections looking at research proposals, learning how research is funded, looking at regulations for human and animals subjects, and submitting my own research proposals.

My parents are originally from Spain and Haiti, and I grew up speaking Spanish, so for undergrad I decided to pick up French as a third language which I thought was a good idea until I studied abroad in Toulouse, France and I realized that classroom French and real-life French were very different. I spent 2 weeks pretending I knew what was happening but it will forever be one of my most cherished experiences of college. Not only did I improve my French immensely, but I also got to explore the culture, the city, and I made lifelong connections there.

Now I’m preparing for my next trip: interning abroad in Madrid. The reason why I chose Spain for my internship is because I want to gain work experience internationally (and hopefully I can someday move abroad). I am going to be interning with Fundación ACOBE, a non-profit organization that works with people seeking public assistance. They provide services like immigration support, counseling, legal assistance, and classes. I hope to contribute to the legal team, learn more about public policy in Spain and how to advocate for people in need. I personally want to challenge myself, learn about a new city, and come out of my comfort zone. Academically, I want to learn the economic impacts of public policy and legal systems. Professionally, I’m looking to build my network and expand my skills to something not solely related to economics.

See you in Madrid!