Hi! I’m Isabella Ricciardi, a junior at the University of Pittsburgh majoring in finance, graduating in December 2026. On campus, I’m involved in Delta Sigma Pi, Pitt Stop to Wall Street, Smart Woman Securities, and Women in Economics. Last summer, I worked at Strategic Exit Advisors, a boutique investment bank in the Philadelphia suburbs. This coming summer, I’ll be joining Citizens as an Investment Banking Summer Analyst in their M&A group. Outside of school and work, I love going on walks, trying new foods, and checking out new coffee shops.

I am participating in the Global Business Institute: Florence- Semester, which is a full semester Panther program. I chose this program and location because I have always loved history and wanted the opportunity to live in a place where architecture, art, and everyday life are so deeply connected to the past. Being in Florence allows me to explore that history firsthand while continuing my business and finance studies. My goals for this semester are to meet new people from different backgrounds, become more independent, and gain a broader perspective that I can bring back to my academic and professional life, while also learning how to navigate a new country on my own, immerse myself in the local culture, and develop new skills that will help me personally and professionally.

My experience at my host university in Florence is similar to Pitt in that students are still focused on their classes and staying on top of their work, but the overall lifestyle feels very different. Life here is much slower-paced, and people actually have time to walk around, talk, and enjoy where they are instead of always rushing somewhere. Another big difference is that there isn’t one main campus like Pitt. My classes here are spread throughout the city, which makes school feel more connected to everyday life in Florence. I live in a shared apartment with five roommates in the Santa Croce neighborhood, just east of the Duomo, and I’ve been adjusting well. While I’m used to having roommates at Pitt, living in an apartment in the city feels more independent. I really like doing simple things like going to the local grocery store, walking around the neighborhood, and interacting with people who live here, which is very different from being on Pitt’s campus. Having the structure of school and the freedom of city life has made the transition feel both comfortable and exciting.