Social and Cultural immersion through travels in Italy and Europe
Today marks my fifth day in Milan, and time is flying by. I have never been to Italy ever, and the last time I was in Europe, I was only six months old so this is my first time here. Initially, I was extremely nervous about moving to a new country for seven weeks. I was nervous about fitting in with the Italian culture, knowing that I had to leave a few of my “America” habits behind. Leading up to the trip, my parents would send over articles like “Italian Edicate” and “What Not To Do At The Italian Dinner Table.” Now that I am here, I realize that I should not have stressed over this cultural transition. Everything has come naturally to me just through observation and reading body language. Everyone I have met in Italy has been so kind, accepting and patient (even with my awful pronunciation).
An academic course on Corporate Social Responsibility
Yesterday was my first class with Professor Gupta in Milan. We had met twice previously for two classes in America but taking the course here feels totally different. If you had spoken to me during the first semester of my sophomore year, I never would’ve thought I would be taking a class with my accounting professor in Milan of all places. It was a full-circle moment. In this class we watched a second video that related to a video we watched in America about Adam Smith. This video focused on the globalization of the economy and the importance of trade. The video also touched on the importance of companies valuing its stakeholders but doing things like treating employees with a lot of respect, as well as making brands accessible to people with any income. After this video, we talked about it and then we discussed the huge debt debate in America. It scared me when Professor Gupta told us that very few Americans are able to retire. He told us that if you have college debt, it will be harder to retire. Time to prioritize budgeting! While this class was only a dip into the intense topics we will discuss, I can already feel myself absorbing valuable information.
Practicum in Milan with an Italian Company
Tomorrow will be the first day of my Internship at South Garage. On Tuesday, we had the challenge of going out and using public transportation to get to the location of our internships by ourselves. My colleague, Will Ironside, and I made it there easily, which was awesome. I was really nervous about public transportation because I am the worst with directions, but it is simpler than I thought. I will put a photo that Will and I took below! The location where we are working looks so cool. I have been emailing back and forth with my employer, Federico, so things are becoming very real. I am so excited to meet him and the other students from other programs that I am working with. I am very excited to see the business culture in Italy and compare it to how it is in America. Last summer I interned in New York City and I predict that this internship will be very different.
