Kristina Pytko
Wharton ’28
Business Analytics and ESGB
GRIP: Business in Sydney
Contact
Ask Me About…
If other students ask me just one thing about my experience abroad, I’d tell them about celebrating Christmas in July.
Coming from the northern hemisphere, July has always meant sunscreen, iced tea, and maybe a beach trip, not scarves and Stollen. But in Australia, July is mid-winter, and the city embraces a cozy “Christmas” season. Streets fill with fairy lights, festive markets, and carols drifting through the cool air.
My friend and I dove in fully. At a coworker’s urging, I bought my first merino wool scarf—something I never imagined needing in “summer.” We rode a 20-meter snow slide at a hotel courtyard party, wandered The Rocks’ Christmas market with hot chocolates and chocolate-dipped strawberries, and ended the night at the Firepit Cinema, wrapped in blankets and toasting marshmallows while “Moulin Rouge” played against the backdrop of Sydney Harbour.
What makes this worth asking about isn’t just the novelty of holiday cheer in July, it’s the way Sydney balances contrasts. One weekend I’d be sun-soaked at Manly Beach; the next, bundled up for a candlelight concert. The city offers the cultural buzz of a major metropolis and the relaxed charm of a coastal town, letting me live two seasons and two rhythms at once.
That’s a perfect example of how living abroad can flip your expectations in the best way. Sometimes, the most memorable moments come from leaning into the unfamiliar—especially when it’s wearing a Santa hat in the middle of winter.
My Experience Abroad
My internship at the Property Council of Australia helped me to connect my academic foundation in business and economics with practical, high-stakes industry work. A core goal of mine was to deepen my understanding of the economics of the property sector. And by building a comparative financial model for a proposed land lease initiative, applying concepts that I had previously only encountered in coursework, I managed to achieve that. It felt even more tangible translating theory into an Excel model used by senior executives; it confirmed how classroom tools become decision-making instruments in practice.
The role also strengthened my data analytics capabilities which are a key to my academics, through training in Power BI, Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM, and Upbeat. Those skills directly supported my work, from structuring datasets for the “Leading Digital Transformation in Property” executive course to streamlining membership outreach processes. With the help of my coworkers I’ve also developed advanced communication and negotiation skills. Cold-calling members to confirm over $500,000 in renewals and later promoting the mid-year Office Market Report pushed me beyond my comfort zone, making me equally confident in client-facing and analytical roles.
I am immensely grateful to GRIP as it has not only advanced my academic objectives but also gave me a clearer vision of how to contribute in a data-driven environment.
Other Highlights
- When my boss asked me to promote Property Council’s Mid-Year Office Market Report over the phone, I’d never sold to completely cold contacts before. The first calls felt awkward—but I learned to focus on listening, answering questions, and explaining the value clearly. By the end, I’d made multiple sales and discovered I could lead high-stakes conversations with confidence.
- I dove into Power BI, Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM, and Upbeat—tools I’d never touched before. I used them to organize and visualize member and market data, and to make internal processes smoother for products like the Office Market Report and Benchmarks. It was exciting to see how technical skills could directly improve how a team works day-to-day.
- From my first day, I was included in team lunches, birthday teas, and even strategic meetings. The culture was collaborative, relaxed, and built on trust—people cared about results, not clock-watching. That sense of belonging made me more confident speaking up, asking questions, and taking initiative, even in unfamiliar situations.
- Many of my projects came with only a broad goal, not a detailed set of instructions. At first, this was intimidating—but it pushed me to ask better questions, test ideas, and trust my judgment. It’s a skill I know will serve me in any dynamic workplace.
