Making an Impact

Ben Zhu

Graduation year: 2021

Major(s): Supply Chain Management

From University High School in California to Pitt Business with Benjamin Zhu

From the Golden State to the Steel City

California is REALLY far from Pennsylvania. So why did I choose Pitt? There is one simple answer. It’s because of how supportive Pitt was to my family and I during the admissions process. Upon graduating high school, I knew I wanted to go out of state for college. I simply wanted to live in a new environment and experience what it’s like on the other side of the U.S. Thanks to Pitt’s regional recruiter out in California, I knew Pitt was it. Coincidentally, my brother also decided to come to Pitt, so it only made my decision easier. One crazy fact about my decision was that I didn’t even visit Pitt’s campus at all! I knew Pittsburgh was a relatively safe city and that Pitt Business had something special to offer. When I first got on campus, I loved the way Cathy looked and the general atmosphere on campus filled with students and families.

Personalize Your Program

I am currently pursuing a double major in Global Management and Supply Chain Management. I am also minoring in Economics and Applied Statistics. The great thing about the Pitt Business curriculum is that it gives you enough time to explore interests and complete coursework that is outside of your business major. This includes certificates, minors, and dual degrees just to name a few. Pitt also has an outside-the-classroom curriculum where it allows you to enrich your college experience outside of your field of study. I would say one of the best classes that I took is “History of Jazz” because, through the course, I got to explore various genres within Jazz and learn to appreciate music in everyday life. Everything that I learned was new to me and I really enjoyed listening to all the music in class. On top of all the great experiences, the Pitt Business faculty has been phenomenal in my academic journey. They genuinely want their students to succeed inside and outside of the classroom. They are understanding and I have enjoyed every class in the business school.

“I am glad that I got involved early in my college years.”

During my first year of college, I met a lot of my friends from playing basketball. Additionally, I also met a lot of my friends through Pitt Business student organizations like Enactus and the Society for International Business. Enactus is a social entrepreneurship student organization, and its mission is to transform lives and shape a better, more sustainable world through community outreach projects. I became involved with this organization because I have an interest in making an impact through teamwork, and I continue to be an active member in its consulting projects.The Society for International Business helps students interested in international business and connects them to resources on campus–and I can attest that they do just that! They host guest speakers, student panels with global experiences experiences, and international programs managers at Pitt Business to inform students of great opportunities to learn about international business. Both of these student organizations helped me grow personally through meeting new people, and professionally by connecting me with resources.

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Pitt Business Student by Day; Pitt Business Intern by Night

I had the opportunity to complete two internships during both of my summers at Pitt. For my first internship, I worked as a research intern for Pitt Business where I got to develop a marketing campaign through information assessment. For my second internship, I worked as a marketing intern for an Australian company called Eat Me Chutneys, where I was responsible for organizing data entries and researching potential product distribution sites for the company. During both of my internships, I improved my proficiency in Excel, and I was able to explore all the hard work that goes behind a marketing campaign and strategy. I was able to find my first internship through Pitt Business’ Handshake page and my second internship through the Pitt Business Global Business Institute!

Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone

The world has changed a lot in the past few years and I’ve learned to change along with it. Throughout my time at Pitt, I’ve come to understand diversity, equity, and inclusion. More importantly, I’ve learned how to grow through other people’s perspectives. When I started approaching people with a curious mindset and humility, I got to learn a lot through their experiences and stories. Better yet, there are also alumni from Pitt that already paved the road for you. To be part of the Pitt community is empowering and enriching, and all the memories you create here will be with you wherever you go.

Post-graduation, I aspire to work for a company that has ambitious goals and seeks to create an impact on the community. I am a person that loves to be part of things bigger than myself and I hope to work for a company that has similar goals. An advice that I would give to prospective students considering Pitt is that so long as you approach everything with an open mind, you will find yourself in a world of adventures. This is the time to try something new, get out of your comfort zone, and meet new friends!