(1) Academic Course on Corporate Social Responsibility
This week, while we didn’t have in person class with Professor Gupta, we watched a movie outside of class called Erin Brocovich. It was a good segue from the Civil Action movie, and led to some interesting discussions during group meals we had throughout the week. With this, most of us also continued working on our final papers and projects. My group got together a couple of times for coffee to talk about our topic, the gender pay gap, and discuss our research.
(2) Practicum in Milan with an Italian Company
This week I also was off of work for most of the week because my company was attending a conference in North Carolina. While they were away, I began the competitive analysis for a new product, GAITLAB, and learned as much as I could about possible competitors. I found that BTS Bioengineering was fairly unique in the way they set up the entire GAITLAB system rather than selling separate devices as some of their competitors did. On Monday July 3 I have my last day at work, which is both sad and exciting because I will miss my company but I am also excited to share my experiences with my friends and family at home!
(3) Social and Cultural Immersion through Travels in Italy and Europe
Last Monday, I attended the Coldplay concert with Maddy at San Siro stadium. It was amazing to be able to see the stadium and everyone in attendance while also getting to watch one of my favorite bands perform. Maddy and I had an amazing time, and it was a great last night as a teenager!
On Tuesday, I had my 20th birthday! Following the Coldplay concert, Maddy and I were on the tram home when the clock hit midnight and I started getting birthday wishes from the Lehigh in Milan students. Later on Tuesday, we had our networking event with IES which was a great experience to learn more about other work cultures within Milan. A group of the Lehigh students then went to one of our favorite restaurants afterwards and they surprised me with a birthday dessert.
Throughout the week, the whole Lehigh in Milan group was also planning a Tuscany trip for the weekend. By Friday, we were all ready to go and took a train to Florence before grabbing taxis to our villa we rented from Airbnb. The weekend was filled with lots of swimming, wine tasting, and family cooking, and I would not have traded the experience for the world. I am so incredibly grateful to have met an amazing group of my peers these past 6 weeks and this weekend was the best way to cap it off.
As the program comes to a close, I want to thank Professor Gupta for everything he has done for us throughout the summer and for being an amazing professor during our time in Milan. I also want to thank all the other students who made this experience so unique and special, and I can’t wait for Bistro night when we get back to Bethlehem! (August 31st at 7:30, everyone mark your calendars)
