Sophia Lis’ Blog Post #9: July 11, 2024

This week in Professor Gupta’s Corporate Social Responsibility course, each group presented information on their final papers. It was great to see how much time and effort my classmates put into their research and I learned a good amount on topics I previously did not have much information on, such as Cancel Culture and Big Pharma and Access to Life-Saving Drugs. In our last Wall Street Journal assignment, I reflected on what I’ve learned through these weekly article summaries. I learned that being up to date on big news excites me for the future and also makes me feel more educated on current events. I’m glad I have had more practice summarizing articles and sharing my opinion on important matters, and look forward to continuing to stay up to date on reading the Wall Street Journal. 

In our last class for Professor Swain and Gupta’s Internship Seminar, my group presented on sustainability in Italy. This was a common subject among presentations, but I learned a lot about the differences between the efforts and fines put in place here in Milan compared to the United States to be more sustainable. I also enjoyed hearing the presentation on the implications of the label “Made in Italy” as it was a topic I had been wondering about as I continue to see this labeling across items in grocery stores and local markets. In class, we had the chance to practice our interview skills with our peers, and it reminded me of recruiting for investment banking positions in the spring and how far I have come in answering questions with confidence. I have had the chance to reflect on my experience at Easylife in my final paper for this class, and have discovered more about my professional profile and aspirations, as well as how to adapt to cultural differences I’ve experienced here in Milan. I think this experience has prepared me well to work in New York City next summer!

On Monday, my boss took Paige and I out to lunch to say goodbye. He introduced us to this market in Central Station called Mercato Centrale that had so many interesting food options. I’m sad Paige and I didn’t know about this market before, but we will definitely be back to try something else before we leave on Saturday. It was really nice of my boss to make the time to get lunch with us as he is usually very busy in the office, and I’m glad I was able to get to know him better. I learned he is from a small town in the South of Italy, and that he was an investment banker before founding Easylife. After lunch he invited us to a company aperitivo on Tuesday.

For the last weekend of this trip, I stayed local and explored new areas I hadn’t seen yet in Milan. I went to the QC Terme Milano spa and had a peaceful day spending time by the pool and sauna. I went to a market on Saturday near Navigli and saw different vintage clothes, bags, and cameras. I am really going to miss walking around these weekly markets and seeing such a unique selection of items. On Tuesday, Paige and I went to a company aperitivo my boss invited us to, and during the presentation my boss even introduced us and said we were part of the team. It was a great opportunity to support my boss in a work setting and I’m glad we had the opportunity to go. Tomorrow, I’m finally going inside the Duomo and I’m so excited. I’m sad to be leaving this weekend but I really had the best time exploring Milan!

Exploring the canals in Navigli
QC Terme Milano with Paige
Watching the presentation at the company aperitivo!
Trying cappuccinos at new cafes each week

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