(1) Academic Course on Corporate Social Responsibility

This week in class we looked at the ethics behind corporations and debated if certain actions were ethical. For instance, my group and myself were told to debate another group on the argument that banks should not be responsible for the mistakes of their customers, which was a fun experience that I enjoyed preparing for. Debates such as this (where my position was arbitrarily chosen for me) made it more interesting as I had to be prepared to argue both sides which gave me a broader perspective of the issue. We also touched on the structure of a corporation and how the ecosystem of stockholders, executives, and the general public all played a role in the decisions of a corporation.

(2) Practicum in Milan with an Italian Company

In our first full week working at Gen-USA, my fellow interns Jimmy, Kat, and I settled into a daily routine and begin to feel more comfortable at the office. We also met the 3 other interns working at the office, all of whom were members of the main IES Abroad program, and who went to schools all around the country. Almost every day this week we were able to go out to lunch alongside our bosses, which was a nice experience that let us get to know them outside the work environment in a more personal setting and is something that I look forward to each day. Throughout the week I was given various small projects to work on, such as researching how a business could register in Washington DC or compiling lists of emails for the company newsletter. I look forward to seeing what projects the company has for me in the weeks to come!

(3) Social and Cultural Immersion through travels in Italy and Europe

The highlight of this week was getting the chance to see the Last Supper in person, which was a phenomenal experience and one that I am grateful I was able to see. The main place that we traveled to was Verona on Friday, which was a beautiful town that seemed much bigger than I had anticipated. My mom, who has been traveling around Italy for about a week beforehand, met me in Verona, and we stayed there for the weekend while exploring the city during the day and getting excellent food for dinners. I have also been walking around Milan a ton every day and am beginning to feel more comfortable getting around by myself. I am still looking for the best Cotoletta in Milan, and predict that I will be trying many more places before my trip is over!