Hi everyone! My name is Morgan Stoddard and I am a rising senior studying Finance and Marketing with a minor in French and a certificate program in International Business. I am from Erie, Pennsylvania which is about two hours away from Pittsburgh. After graduation I am searching for a role in global finance or investment banking.

I am currently studying abroad in London, England, through the Global Business Institute Program. This is a 6-week program with a company called CEA CAPA, where you can choose to either take two classes or one class and an internship. I chose the work experience route and I am taking one class, International Business Marketing, and I have a part-time internship. My internship is with a company called, Bessette, which is a curated luxury fashion website that resells other designer clothes at a discounted price.

I chose the GBI in London program not only because I want to pursue graduating with the International Business certificate, but because I knew that it would help me gain the international experience that I will need for my later career goals. Since coming into Pitt Business I knew that I wanted to pursue finance, but through different classes and out of class experiences, I realized that working abroad is one of my major career goals. Being able to show jobs that I have worked abroad and communicated on an international team already will hopefully give me an edge when looking for a full time role. I am also hoping that through this program I will grow more confidence and independence to live and work in a country that I have never been to before.

One of my main goals on this program is to increase my understanding of marketing on a global level. CEA CAPA offers interesting courses that will help me to develop skills in marketing beyond what I could learn in the US. Another goal of mine would be to learn about other cultures, specially how other people live and work. Compared to the US, the UK has a completely different culture when it comes to how they work together, communicate with each other, and the expectations that an employer might have of an intern.

I am so excited to share my journey with the Pitt Business Blog and can’t be more happy with my decision to come to London. I already know that it is going to be one of the best experiences!