Brianna Gasgonia grew up in Southern California and is a senior at the University of Pittsburgh, double majoring in German and Russian and pursuing certificates in Russian and Eastern European Studies and European Union Studies. Her interest in international affairs began shortly after high school graduation, when she had the opportunity to study abroad in Germany as a Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Scholar.

Patrick Asinger is a University of Pittsburgh chemical engineering major with intended minors in polymer engineering, mathematics, and chemistry. He plays on the ultimate Frisbee team and conducts undergraduate research. Patrick enjoys learning about science and engineering, and wants to be a part of the upcoming technologies that will have an impact on the future. Patrick also enjoys traveling, trying new foods, and being active.

When you want to give your career a boost, you are not limited to your own country. In fact, many people now look at the job market in other countries, because this can open up opportunities that are just not available at home. While Western countries have long been held up as the ultimate destinations for those who want to build a career, the emerging economies in the East should not be ignored.

Caroline Macomber is a nomadic travel writer working on both Freakinflyers.com and Travelisfree.com with her husband. Together, they use frequent flyer miles and hotel points to live in hotels all over the world. All the while, they track all expenses to see exactly how useful miles and points can be in making travel more possible and affordable. She studied abroad in Northern Ireland.

Originally from Ashburn Virginia, Kiara Lee is a junior bioengineering student minoring in Spanish and Chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh. Her study abroad experience began the summer after her freshman year, when she studied abroad in Chile with a program called Plus3. This program was a partnership between the engineering and business schools at Pitt where students learned about the economy and various businesses in Chile.

Danielle Corcione graduated from Ramapo College of New Jersey in May 2015. She studied abroad in Bangalore, India and Prague, Czech Republic. Now, she is located in Omaha, Nebraska.

What motivated your decision to go abroad? How/why did you choose where to go?

Emeka Ukaga is a junior dual-degree student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies at the University of Pittsburgh. He grew up in Woodbury, Minnesota, but also has close ties with Nigeria because his parents are from there; Emeka’s a dual-citizen. He has a strong passion for global studies, and because of that is also pursuing a minor in French and certificates in International Engineering, Western European Studies, African Studies, and Global Studies.

Renee Corbett is a “super” senior pursuing a Civil and Environmental Engineering major and a Communication certificate. Throughout the course of her time at Pitt, she has had numerous opportunities to travel abroad. She traveled to Haiti for 3 one-week sustainable development trips and she traveled to Trujillo, Peru for 6 weeks to construct sustainable VIP (ventilation improved pit) latrines.

Alexandria Martinez is earning her Health Service Major-Certificate in Community Health Assessment at the University of Pittsburgh. She's originally from Teaneck, NJ, which is a 15-minute drive from New York City. She considers herself a city girl and loves exploring big cities. She loves music and enjoys discovering and listening to all genres of music. She believes music can be healing and is food for the soul. She's also an avid reader and like music, reads all types of books.

Emily Kearns is a senior at the University of Pittsburgh dual-majoring in Communication and Business. She studied abroad in Florence, Italy in the spring of 2015 and developed a deep love for travel. Upon graduation in May, she hopes to find a career that incorporates her passions for photography, writing, and travelling.