I am excited for our first Corporate Social Responsibility class tomorrow and since my last post I have completed another Wall Street Journal assignment. Each week I am learning about current events and their impact on the world. I tried to pick a topic I am not too familiar with this week and ended up choosing an article about legislation on housing in California, and how it is failing. I found myself trying to think of ways the housing crisis could be solved while providing affordable homes to people. I think this complex issue needs specific legislation with steps to get to a set goal. I also learned a lot about what goes into this legislation and how the process works. This also made me think about what type of legislation there is in Milan regarding housing and if they have affordable homes in the popular areas. I have noticed how no one really lives near the duomo and most people will have apartments or homes outside of the city. I also noticed how the trams are free for everyone to use and a metrocard for a month is affordable. I wonder if transportation being affordable allows more people to find housing since they can travel from all over whether it’s to work or family and friends.

I just completed my first few assignments for Professors Swain’s and Gupta’s Internship Seminar. Also, this class has helped me set a goal for my internship: to be more productive and help out more in the office. To do this, I will ask more questions to see if anyone needs help and be more observant about what is happening in the office. In the story “The Head or the Heart,” as a part of the assignments, I learned how America and other countries have different cultures. In the first class, I learned more about other students’ internships and reflected on theirs compared to my own. I am excited to learn more about how to be productive at an internship and learn more about everyone’s different experiences.

I have also been enjoying my internship a lot so far. I really like how this organization is focused on creating sustainable and impactful initiatives. Commuting has been going well, and I have enjoyed settling into a routine. I learned a lot about Milan’s culture from my coworkers. They showed me different spots to get food and fun places to visit. I also have been working on research for the Sawyer project. We have been exploring the use of social media campaigns and partnerships with local influencers to spread the word about Spezza. I am excited to work on the project more this week and propose different ways we have thought of to increase donations for their project.

This week, I have tried out a lot of different restaurants and cafes and have tried different foods. After the language class, I’ve gotten better at ordering in Italian and trying to speak to people when needed. I also really enjoyed the day in the Alps. The zip-lining and course were so fun, and everyone really enjoyed participating in that. I also thought the hike was something I had never experienced before, seeing the mountain range with snow and then grass in the next. It was so cool to see. I’m excited because next weekend we have the overnight trip and will be traveling for a longer period of time. My favorite meal so far was the pasta at a restaurant we found while shopping along the streets of Milan.