Penn Abroad Ambassador Gabriella Gibson

Program:

• GRIP: Business in Sydney

Ask me about...

• Exploring the city on your own; and being able to investigate unconventional places due to not being forced to explore in a group.

• Taking a different approach than normal; I am typically very extroverted and enjoy spending time with other people, but I found that exploring independently allowed me to fully immerse myself in a new culture.

• Meeting others who told me about their favorite places in the city, upcoming events, and of their impressions of Australia, the United States, and their home countries.  Hearing global perspectives on the country I have lived in my entire life was an eye-opening experience and helped me realize that I may want to start a life abroad post-graduation.

• Spending a lot of time observing others and witnessing local traits and customs firsthand.

• Developing a feeling of safety and eventually a feeling of home abroad.

My Experience Abroad:

As a marketing concentration, my time abroad allowed me to explore what a career in marketing might look like while also providing me with the opportunity to experience life in a new country. In Sydney, I worked as a recruitment consultant, where I had responsibilities such as creating new marketing campaigns, designing advertisements, and attracting new applicants. To be successful in my role I needed to consider what attributes of the roles my company offered would be attractive to potential candidates. This allowed me to put into practice some of the skills and theories I learned in Marketing 101 and gave me valuable insight into what a marketing career could look like. Additionally, living in Sydney made me realize that I want to live abroad after graduation, which is something I would not have been able to discover about myself without GRIP. I knew I wanted to go abroad during my time in college, but I always felt reluctant about leaving campus during the school year. Going abroad during the summer, exploring a new environment, and simultaneously getting internship experience was an ideal opportunity and I can’t imagine a summer experience that would have aligned more with my goals or taught me more about myself.

Other Highlights:

• Snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef.

• Exploring the marketing field and a new country.

• Spending time in the ocean (through both surfing and swimming).

• Trying countless gelato flavors.

• Hiking in the blue mountains (a eucalyptus forest!).