Visiting the Irish Design Center today felt different from the other places we’ve been. Tom Petrone and his wife Maura own the shop, and the moment you walk in, you can tell it’s not just a retail store. Tom talks about every item like it’s part of his own life. He knows who made it,…

This morning’s tour of the Hill District with Terri Baltimore hit me in a way I didn’t expect. I knew we were going to learn about history, community development, and all that important stuff. But what surprised me was how familiar the neighborhood felt. Not familiar in the sense that I’d been there before, but…

Today we visited Connellsville and learned about the work the Fayette County Cultural Trust is doing to support economic development in the community. Hearing their story showed me how much a small town can accomplish when it capitalizes on what makes it special. Connellsville isn’t trying to become something it’s not. Instead, the Trust focuses…

For today’s neighborhood scramble assignment, our goal was to explore a Pittsburgh neighborhood and size it up quickly using four lenses: businesses, civic assets, community organizations, and public resources. My group chose the Strip District, which felt like a place built for tourists and food lovers. The easiest lens to spot was definitely the businesses….

As I concluded my first week, Saturday’s visit to Millvale felt less like exploring a neighborhood and more like stepping into history. Inside St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church, the murals that stood out to me were the ones centered on families and the weight they carried. The Croatian mother raising her son for war stuck…

Bringing my first week to a close, our groups had the chance to network with some of the most important people guiding our project. Going into our first client meeting, I was honestly stressed about asking the right questions and coming across professionally. I didn’t want to ask too little or too much. Once I…

Today felt like the first real look into what my next four years at Pitt could look like. Hearing from Assistant Dean David Hornyak showed me how much the Honors College focuses on connection, mentorship, and opening doors for students who want to push themselves. As someone who came to Pitt without knowing a single…

During my short time at Pitt, I’ve already noticed how different the U.S. feels from coast to coast. This is only my second time ever in Pennsylvania, so naturally I’ve had some uncertainties about what life here will look like. Even though I’m having a great time meeting other business students and getting a taste…

Hi, I’m Cade Garlett. I’m from Los Angeles, California, where the temperature hardly drops below 60 degrees and I get to surf and play beach volleyball all year long. Before I get into my extremely interesting introduction, I should admit that I’m not the best writer, so bear with me as I try my best…