This week in our CSR class, we discussed heavily the treatment of laborers by the suppliers of Apple, and what Apple can do about it. I had never heard about this situation before, but it did not come as a shock to me personally. I know that many of these tech companies outsource their labor to offshore locations. Normally, this includes places with poor regulations, and not as strict as the US. This results in cheaper labor, and unfortunately poorer treatment of workers. In this case, I feel like Apple has more power than people think. Consumers are quick to point out the wrongdoings of the company, but boycotting their purchases are another story. Apple is still one of the most profitable companies in the world, despite these things that were brought to light.

As we wrapped up the internship seminar this week, I realized that I learned a lot of valuable lessons. For example, self evaluation is important and I feel like I did that a lot during this class. I found myself reflecting often, and learning how I dealt with work as well as conflict. Putting yourself into a category is often hard, but I feel this class helped me to be able accurately describe myself and learn how I interact with others. I felt the introduction to Italian culture was really valuable as well. It helped me acclimate to the environment around me faster, and learn how to interact with those at work.
At my internship my relationships continue to grow. They trust the other interns and I more and more each day, and we are closer to finishing what we were tasked with as well. It is rewarding to see our job become completed as time goes on. And I am happy to say that I feel I did a good job. We are also continuing to shoot our videos of ideas that we proposed, expanding the content that the page originally posted. We have also planned a final dinner with all of the employees, a symbol of how much our relationship has grown since we started. I feel that I would consider many of these employees friends, and am happy to see how far I have come since the beginning.
This past weekend we visited Rome. Honestly, my first reaction is it was HOT! I felt like I had jumped in a pool at the end of each day, and it was truly a struggle to enjoy the sites with the heat. Nonetheless, I enjoyed learning about and seeing the most historic city in Italy, and I have always been inspired by the Roman Empire personally, so this was a longtime dream of mine. The food was excellent as well, and eating at a Michelin star restaurant makes me feel like I can never eat pasta from anywhere else again. It was truly a wonderful experience and I’m blessed to have this opportunity.