My expectations in terms of the academic enrichment aspect of the program via Professor Gupta’s corporate social responsibility course are high. As a current student of Professor Gupta, I know how passionate, comprehensive, and informative his teachings are. While I am not an accounting genius, corporate social responsibility has always been an interest of mine and I am eager to learn more about the topic especially with Professor Gupta. Currently, in BUS 203 we are doing a project on CSR and this has only piqued my interest further. Additionally, I think that the international component of this course will offer a new perspective to CSR that I might not have previously explored. Since I don’t yet know the nitty gritty parts of what we will be learning, it is hard to pinpoint my particular expectations or goals. Overall, I want to explore the overarching themes and standards within CSR worldwide while diving deep into the ethical issues and decisions that are made regionally and internationally. 

While I have been in a professional workplace before, I am excited for the academic enrichment via Gupta / Swain internship seminar. In school we are taught facts. Facts are important, they are what give us the knowledge to be competent within a career, but I feel a missing aspect of what we are taught is the lack of professional competence that we need within the workplace. I think that this seminar will give the whole class a better grasp on the standard practices of the workplace, teach us how to handle ourselves, and turn us into assets within an organization as opposed to a hindrance or a body in the room. I like to consider myself competent and responsible, but I often find myself doing exactly as I am told. While this is the standard and what is expected, I want to learn how to do the unexpected and be above the standard, learn the strategies and market myself and prove that I am unique. 

I think that all four components of this course fit perfectly with one another. Ever since I was an infant, I have been surrounded by painstakingly hard working interns at my mother’s company. I’ve always wanted to be like them: a passionate student who gets hands-on experience, learns new skills, and forges pivotal relationships for professional development. The internship aspect of the Lehigh in Milan program will give me the opportunity to get into the workplace within an industry that I am passionate about. While I do not know the true essence or theme of the internship that I will be getting, I know that this will be the first job where I will truly be able to learn, develop, and hone new skills. I am a people person, so I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work alongside professionals in Milan. Through reading blog posts of previous years, I have seen that interns have made incredible friendships with their coworkers and there is a mutually beneficial relationship that seems organic and genuine. A question often arises with students, “This job requires experience, but if every job requires previous experience how will I ever get the experience needed?” This internship is a privilege and memory that I am sure I won’t forget. It will give me the opportunity to gain experience within my industry of interest while also giving me the opportunity to make necessary connections. While I have no expectation of this internship setting the theme for the rest of my professional career, it will always be the first self earned opportunity that kickstarted a passion of mine. 

I am possibly most excited about the cultural immersion through group and personal travels. I have been traveling for as long as I can remember, but it has never been for long periods of time. Last summer, I did a study abroad program in Paris. I had been to Paris a number of times before, but this adventure was different. Since the program was for an extended period of time, it gave me the opportunity to get a more genuine experience that felt more natural than the tourist perspective. I am excited to be in another country where I get to immerse myself in an experience that is more native to the country. I have been to Italy once before, but only to the south. I am excited to get a fresh perspective on a different sector and I am sure, a completely different culture. One thing I learned in anthropology and history is that food has long been a universal language to understand another culture when you don’t speak the same language. Italy is easily one of the food capitals of the world and I am excited to try new things and eat at places I normally would not have the opportunity to go to. Milan is the fashion capital of the world, so once I am done trying all the foods I am sure I will need new clothing and what better place to shop? One thing I love about Italy is that every location has a completely different feeling, vibe, and structure. You can be in an incredible city one minute and two hours later you can be in the mountains. I will certainly be taking advantage of the ease of travel and visit as many locations as possible.