Hello!
My name is Christian Lewand, and I am a rising Junior! I currently study Global Management and am aiming toward two minors, in Spanish and in Portuguese! I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but after studying at Pitt and getting closer to everyone, I have fallen more in love with my city (did not think that was possible!) I am a movie and novel enthusiast, and I love spending my time with my friends and family. I am a huge extrovert and love meeting new people and making connections everywhere I go! I chose to go to Spain through the IIP because I have been surrounded by Spanish my whole life; I started learning Spanish in Kindergarten! The University of Pittsburgh, however, strengthened, even more, my love for the language.
Additionally, I am on the University of Pittsburgh’s cheer team! I have met some of the best people in the world through this program, and it has taught me so many lessons. I have the opportunity to cheer at basketball, volleyball, football, and many more events that the university holds. Not only is it an incredibly beautiful sport, but it also builds very important, real-world applicable skills, such as leadership, teamwork, and trust. The events that Pitt holds, such as the Walk for Cancer, and many more, are also amazing to be able to participate in, simply because of what they represent. These opportunities are also great as they allow me to connect with different Pitt Alumni and learn more about their lives after Pitt.
I am also a current Monster Ambassador. This is such an amazing experience, as I am allowed to connect with the student body on a more personal level and to promote a product I truly love! Being a Monster Ambassador also allows me to connect with students from different universities, which is an amazing experience. I also think this has helped me grow as a professional, as I am required to connect with consumers over social media and to make monthly reports about which products were more favorable to the public.
I am so excited to go to Madrid for 8 weeks, as I have never been out of the country. I think this will be an amazing opportunity, not only for my Spanish speaking abilities, but also to gain professional experience and to meet new people. I am so excited to explore the city of Madrid, as well as travel on the weekends to neighboring cities. I already have some places in mind that I want to explore! I am also so excited to use my Spanish skills in a more personal sense, rather than in the classroom. I believe through the IIP – Madrid program, I am able to do that without a doubt!
I also truly believe I will gain so much professional experience. I am working in a sales department for a local company in Madrid, and I am so excited to jump right into work! I love meeting new people and creating life-long connections with them, and I believe having a sales internship, where I can communicate directly with clients, will be an amazing opportunity to have. I am also so excited to learn how similar and different companies from different countries can be to that of the United States, regarding their internal operations. My internship will definitely help me in the professional world, and grant me so many amazing opportunities: what those opportunities are, I will soon learn!
Furthermore, I am so thrilled and thankful that I have the opportunity to live with a host family. I believe that by doing so, I can become more acclimated to the everyday life of a person living in Madrid. I am so excited to see what differences there will be in my everyday life. I am also so eager to try all the different foods and drinks in Madrid.
I head to the airport tomorrow, and while I will greatly miss my family, friends, and pets, I am so excited to start this next chapter of my life. I think this is the type of program that you simply cannot pass up. It offers you both ample professional experience and the experience to simply grow as a person. See you in Madrid!