Lesser known clubs and centers to join at Pitt

Finding the perfect club or student organization to join can complement a balanced schedule and social life, and Pitt has a variety of clubs and organizations for every type of student. 

Corporate Connections at Pitt is a club that connects students through the production of podcast interviews that was established last spring. Sissi Hai, a rising sophomore supply chain major and president of Corporate Connections, said the club helps with professional development.

“CCPB is a platform that offers students the opportunity to connect with business professionals through podcast interview production,” Hai said. “It will also help students with professional development as well as building a network.” 

Despite being a new club, Corporate Connections had a busy first semester. Members of the club attended the Pitt Business Analytics Case Competition, hosted a networking event and began work on their first podcast episode. According to Hai, the club’s first podcast episode will be on streaming services by the end of July. 

Hai says that Corporate Connections has contributed to a positive experience at Pitt.

“I think we are not only connecting to business professionals, but connecting with each other,” Hai said. “I think that’s really special.” 

The Less Commonly Taught Languages Center (LCTL) at Pitt is home to 14 different languages that students can major, minor or receive a certificate in. LCTL offers scholarships for students such as Nationality Room Scholarships and FLAS Fellowships, which allow students to continue their foreign language studies or also study abroad. 

LCTL hosts a variety of events that students can participate in, such as language lessons or celebrations of different cultures. The biggest event that LCTL hosts is the language coffee house, where each language department serves food and drink from their culture, and students get to try ordering coffee in the respective languages.

Assisting Philanthropic Professionals Lead Education (A.P.P.L.E) at Pitt is a club that creates a community for aspiring and current educators in the Pittsburgh area. Stephany Andrade, a rising sophomore in the School of Education’s C.A.S.E 4+1 program, founded A.P.P.L.E. because she feels the education profession is sometimes undermined and that there was a lack of education clubs at Pitt.

“Our purpose is to bridge the gap between aspiring educators, professionals, and students in the Pittsburgh community to increase learning exposure in our field,” Andrade said. “Our mission is to prepare and expose aspiring educators to the profession in order to create a community. A.P.P.L.E’s values are centered around connectivity and mentorship.”

A.P.P.L.E was also only established last semester, but Andrade has lots she’d like to accomplish in the upcoming fall semester.

“Over the semester we plan to host first year teacher panels for students going into the field after graduating this year, and creating clothing closets in underserved schools with donated clothes, have workshops on behavioral management and classroom projects and create a network of future educators in the Pittsburgh area,” Andrade said. 

Closer than You Think is a group at Pitt where out of state students can make connections and share experiences, but all are welcome to join. Alexis Berg, a rising junior finance major from Denver, Colorado, and president of the club, plans many different activities for club members.

“We usually do a few on campus and a bunch in the Oakland neighborhood,” Berg said. “We have gone to Phipps and had game nights. We take the bus when we go off campus to help members learn how to use the bus and get around the city and we go to restaurants in different neighborhoods to learn the city.”

As President, Berg tries to make out-of-state students feel welcome on campus.

“I try to find a way to connect and support every person who joins our club,” Berg said. “I help plan our meetings and excursions as well as work on ways to create a safe and friendly space for out-of-state students.”