Blog Archives

  • Blog

More Than the Pictures & Trinkets

GRIP: Ashoka in Mexico City, Mexico Mexico City (CDMX) is considered the “New York City” of Mexico. After all, it is the largest city in North America—even bigger than New York City’s 8 million residents—with its population of 22 million. Being born and raised in Queens, New York, I immediately started scanning for similarities and…

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Ink & Instinct: Notes from Portugal

GRIP: Churchill’s in Porto, Portugal On the first day of my arrival to Portugal, I bought a mini black notebook. I wanted to collect notes, stories, and words of wisdom. A yearbook of sorts. “Just one step at a time and you’ll be fine!” – M. 2025 is the first year I have been out…

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Sobremesa: Food for the Soul

GRIP: Markenetics in Montevideo, Uruguay There’s a word in Spanish with no true English equivalent: sobremesa. It describes the time spent after a meal, not eating, but simply enjoying each other’s company. Reflecting on my time in Montevideo, I’m not just grateful to know what sobremesa means. I’m grateful to have lived it, and to…

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There’s an energy here

SA: SIT International Honors Program Alina, one of the Semester Abroad Correspondents, shares her experience abroad during the Spring 2025 semester. Follow along with the group of correspondents on our blog and look out for their images on the @pennabroad Instagram feed. I came abroad because my gut told me to. I first created my School for International Training login account on…

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Building Mountains and Bridges: Three Memories That Shaped My GRIP Experience

GRIP: KK Fund, Taipei, Taiwan As my internship with KK Fund comes to a conclusion, I would like to share several great memories. Semiconductor Movie: A Chip OdysseyOne of the most memorable moments of my internship wasn’t at a pitch meeting or investor event—it was sitting in a dark theater, surrounded by fellow Penn alumni…

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Interview with Lawyer and University of Minho Law School Administrative Director: Sandra Amorim

GRIP: Legal Research at University of Minho Law School in Braga, Portugal Hana Menkari, one of the Global Research and Internship Correspondents, shares her experience abroad during Summer 2025. Follow along with the group of correspondents on our blog and look out for their images on the @pennabroad Instagram feed. Sandra Amorim is an attorney pursuing her master’s degree in Braga, Portugal. As…

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GRIP Tips: Power Up Gambia

GRIP: Power Up Gambia Madison Shelton, one of the Global Research and Internship Correspondents, shares her experience abroad during Summer 2025. Follow along with the group of correspondents on our blog and look out for their images on the @pennabroad Instagram feed. Hi everyone! It’s Maddie here checking in from The Gambia! I have spent a considerable amount of time in what is…

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Hard Work and Homelet

GRIP: Sustainable Development in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam My fellow interns at Nuoa aren’t just work colleagues. They are my Grab Car commute buddies and the first customers of Homelet! Well, Homelet isn’t technically a restaurant. It’s just me and my coworkers Shaomin and Marcus eating omelets in my apartment in Ho Chi Minh…

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The Argentine Kiss

GRIP: Social Impact in Buenos Aires, Argentina “Por qué amo a Buenos Aires” – Eladia Blázquez Porque hay amor en tus baldosasy es el dolor la misma cosa,porque te amo y me embriago con tu aireal nombrarte, Buenos Aires, en mi canción. Translation: Because there’s love in your sidewalksand pain feels like just another part,because…

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5 Things You Need To Know Before Bustling Through Bangkok

GRIP: PR and Marketing in Bangkok, Thailand Bring Lightweight Clothing Before this program, I had never been anywhere near the Eastern Hemisphere, so you can imagine my surprise when the heat and humidity hit me like a truck. Even though I researched beforehand, the heat still caught me off guard. What saved me was packing…