Hi! my name is Marina and this is one of my first ever blog posts here so to me this is very exciting. I live in San Antonio Texas, but originally from Minnesota. I have an older sister who is a rising senior in college, the most loving; caring but college driven parents, and a beautiful gorgeous dog named Lucy! I am an uprising freshman here at the University of Pittsburgh, and decided to major in Business Analytics with hopes in double majoring in Finance! I am so excited to be a part of the Panther family, and grateful I am able to study in a University where I can explore, learn, and meet new friends/connections! I am currently enrolled in the summer program of the Haller Global Honors Fellowship. In this program I have the privilege to experience what other students have to do in approximately 1-2 years, so this is a cool and engaging time in my life.

A little brief summary about myself is that I love to lift weights in my free time, and even going on a simple walk is the ideal perfect day. I like to try new activities from time to time, going to a museum? Perfect, I’m down to go. You want to try skiing? Awesome, I love going on adventures and going to functions that’ll shape myself and how my daily life is. Although I am a student, I have over three years of experience of hands on fast paced retail operations, such as working in high volume food service, inventory control, and customer retention. Overall, this has taught me how critical data driven decisions are for these experiences. As a Business Analytics student, the skills I have comprehended over the years, really taught me how the world of data analytical methodologies functions, and helps me apply this learning for my future studies.

I found the Haller Global Honors Fellowship program through an email I got somewhere in late March. At first I was hesitant, and nervous knowing this was before my Fall semester. But after just 24 hours of being here and spending time with classmates and learning from the professors, it is an unbelievable and exciting experience! The many reasons why I wanted to participate in this program was for getting to know other incoming freshman in this program, so meeting new people and possibly making friends along the way is a very nice and welcoming factor. Another reason why I wanted to embark this program is because we had the opportunity to visit Ireland, I’ve never stepped outside the U.S. unless it was a trip to Mexico, so this is now my third country I’m about to visit! I’ve always found Ireland super unique, mystical and heard it’s had world renowned culture, amazing landscapes, and the history that has has to offer. I’m hoping to get some insider knowledge from some of the locals living in Ireland such as the culture they maintain, and even the historical landmarks. I really do want see the amazing views/sceneries of Belfast and Dublin, including seeing the infamous Murder Hole beach. During my time in Ireland, I also am anticipating to work with the business leaders and help out with the issues they are facing – consulting, leading some pointers, and possibly help boost attraction! I hope to gain some experience with this program, get outside my comfort zone, and just dive right in!