During our last two classes, we presented our projects. At first, I was nervous about presenting, but I ended up really enjoying sharing our research and answering questions. I was very passionate about our topic and learned a lot about cancel culture and its implications. Working with Hannah and Victoria was a pleasure! Additionally, listening to my peers’ presentations was very interesting, and I thought everyone did a fantastic job. As we wrapped up classes, I became sad, realizing our time in Milan was coming to an end. This class has been a great experience, offering me many new perspectives on corporate social responsibility and the inner workings of corporations. I feel like I have developed many new skills and am excited to take them back to Lehigh! 

In our Internship Seminar, we also presented our projects. In the beginning, we talked about interviewing skills, which I found very helpful. I definitely have to practice my interview skills as I will be applying for internships soon. I am looking forward to coming back to Lehigh so I  can work on my resume and interview skills more in-depth and polish them off with Professor Gupta. I also thought the presentations in our seminar were interesting, but I did find them to be a little repetitive as many of us chose the same topic. I can definitely say I am more knowledgeable about sustainability in Italy. 

My internship is still going well! I am sad that for the past two weeks I have not been in the office. My bosses have had many meetings in Florence and will not be in Milan for much of July, which means I will not get to say goodbye in person. We are meeting over Zoom on Thursday to look at my work, which I am nervous about! I wish we could have met earlier so that, if need be, I could have more time to make changes. However, I know I have limited time, and I will try to fix as much as I can and give them a great final product. 

For our last weekend, we went to Split, Croatia. This was by far my favorite trip! On our first day there, we went to a beach club. The water was beautiful and we also jumped off some of the cliffs near the beach club. I was really nervous about jumping and only did it once, but overall had a lot of fun. The next day, we went on a six-hour booze cruise. It was really hot out, and there were a lot of people on the boat. I had a lot of fun, but six hours was far too long. The boat took two stops so we could jump off and swim. They had a slide and Vic did a back flip off of the boat. That night, some of us stayed in, and we played card games all night (I won most of the time).

This week, we watched the movies Erin Brockovich and Civil Action. Of the two, my favorite was Erin Brockovich. I loved how Julia Roberts portrayed Erin and expressed her passion and fire. Originally, I did not expect the movie to portray the struggles women face balancing a family and an ambitious career. I thought the homework questions were really helpful in thinking about the challenges Erin faced with her family and what her motivations were. Without the questions, I probably would not have thought about how much Erin had to sacrifice to fight for the families of Hinkley and justice. I also considered how, as the movie progressed, Erin stayed true to herself in the way she handled business. While she was unprofessional, I do not think she would have connected with the families in the way she did if she tried to acclimate to her new office. Overall, I loved the movie and felt it fit perfectly into our class!

In our internship class, we discussed resume-building and interview skills. I thought this was very useful, and I realized how much I could add to my resume to better represent myself. The examples on Courseite were also great resources, and it was helpful that we worked on them in class, as I asked classmates for help and their opinions. I also thought the video we watched was entertaining. It made me realize how important the small parts of body language and speech are. I recognize that I need to work on my interview skills and practice cutting out filler words. I am usually a big “like” user and am working on fixing that habit.

My internship is still going well! This week, I did not go into the office as my bosses had an emergency meeting in Florence. We are doing a call on Friday so I can give an update on my work, which makes me a little nervous as I will be in Croatia. However, this is an example of the soft skills weve been practicing and learning to be flexible. I also have noticed this internship has forced me to practice my communication skills and has forced me to advocate for myself. Often, when talking to people in authority, it can be difficult to ask for what I want, and to be honest, but being in Milan and wanting to travel has forced me to. I feel like I have learned a lot from this internship and many skills that I am excited to take home!

Last weekend, we went on a day trip to Lake Como! This was my favorite trip. We rented a two-hour boat tour, and our captain showed us some really cool spots on Lake Como. We also got to see George Clooney’s house and one of the Versace properties. He also showed us the most expensive wedding venue on the lake, a mansion that costs 2.3 million dollars for one night. A girl can dream! After that, we enjoyed the ride and played our music. Eventually, we stopped, and he docked the boat so we could jump in the water and swim. This was the best part as we watched each other dive into the water from the boat. After that, we drank wine on the boat and soaked up the sun. It was the perfect day!

 

My team participated in the debate during Wednesday’s class. While it was over Zoom, I really enjoyed it. It forced us to think quickly on our feet and create a deeper understanding. Our group argued that the BRT Statement of Purpose was just empty rhetoric, and I thought it would be a very easy point to argue. However, the other team did a great job and provided multiple examples of companies that fulfilled their promises. I think this experience reminded me how important it is to have evidence to back up your points when participating in debates. I still think many of these companies do not intend to fulfill promises and signed the Statement of Purpose to appease stakeholders and the public. I hope I am wrong, but I feel we have not made enough progress to hold these companies accountable. 

This week’s communication with my internship went a lot better! I am finishing up the project I was assigned. Next week, my boss and I are going to go over my work, and he is going to answer some last-minute questions to wrap up the project. Most of my job has been researching clients and filling out their information, which can become difficult as there are many clients, and not all have their information listed. In these instances, I have to leave some information blank, which can get frustrating as I want to be able to fill out as much as possible. I am excited to share my finished work with my boss and see what adjustments he suggests. I know it is going to be satisfying to finish this project after working on it for most of my time here. 

My last trip was to Nice, France. This was my first time in France, and I had so much fun. We did a lot of shopping and got to listen to live music in the streets after dinner. I love looking through the markets and shopping for little mementos and gifts for family and friends. While shopping, we were able to find an iced coffee place in the touristy areas, which I was so excited about because I miss iced coffee so much. We also had zucchini flowers, which our waiter told us were native to southern France. On our second day, we went to the beach. I thought it was interesting that it was sandless, and I kind of preferred the rocks, except for the part where it was difficult to get in and out of the water. Nice was very busy because they had their Pride festival and there was a big soccer game on Friday night. The city was very lively, and there was a lot of singing and dancing in the streets!

In class, we had another debate about whether corporations have social responsibility or not. I thought it was a very good topic and summed up a lot of what we have learned and talked about. As we prepared for this debate, I found that I thought both sides had a lot of information and fair points. The more I looked at my notes from our readings, I realized that my opinion was less clear than previously. I still believe corporations have social responsibility, but I can see the other side of the argument. I think it is interesting how some of the articles pointed out that corporations cannot have responsibility, and forcing managers to take on this responsibility leaves room for arbitrary decisions. I totally agree with that point and believe in the hands of managers, social responsibility would be abused. 

In our internship seminar class, we discussed different types of communication. I never realized how, in the United States, we use low-context communication and specifically spell out what we mean. It is interesting to learn the history of why we do this. The United States is a melting pot of different cultures, and to adapt and understand each other, it is easier to say what you mean to get the message across. We also started working on a group project, and my group is looking at sustainability in Italy and its history. I am excited to interview my boss for this as he is very well-versed in sustainability in Italy. 

Recently, there was a little miscommunication with my internship and when I was going to the office. This happened because every week, my boss changes when he wants me to come in, so there is no clear schedule. This means I have to be very flexible, which can sometimes get tricky with our class schedule and my boss’s traveling schedule. However, we were able to work it out, and since I could not go into the office this week, I created a write-up of my work progress and sent it to my boss. He was very appreciative of the work I did, and that made me feel valued and a part of the team!

Last weekend I went to Venice. We only took a day trip, which I felt was the perfect amount of time to be in Venice. I loved it and thought it was really cool how there were no cars and everyone traveled by water. We took a boat taxi and got to watch the other boats and gondolas. Also, my dad recommended we go to Harry’s bar, which he told me was famous and has had customers like Ernst Hemmingway. My dad told me to get their famous Bellini, and of course, when we showed up, we did not expect it to cost 24 euros. Charlie and I still ordered them, but the worst part was that they came in the smallest glasses I’ve ever seen. It was a really funny moment that I will never forget.

This week’s classes taught me much about corporations and their functions. We learned about the different theories of corporate governance and how much power certain corporations give their CEOs. The video we watched in class helped me better understand the problems with corporations and how many have been sued for unethical practices. I was intrigued by the video’s comparison of corporations to psychopaths, especially since corporations try to claim personhood under the law. Additionally, I was deeply disturbed by the part of the video about the underpaid workers by large corporations like Nike. I was shocked when the video revealed that the corporations went into impoverished and desperate communities and gave them jobs with small wages. Then, when that community was no longer desperate, the corporation moved onto a new area. While the corporation does give community members just enough money for food, their actions are still unethical and continue to cause harm. 

Our internship seminar class this week talked about social norms and understanding how Italians connect themselves to regions. I found it interesting that these regions are very different from each other, even when they are in the same state. For example, different provinces claim different foods as their own, and people only get that food in that province. I was also shocked that Italians do not have a strong sense of nationalism, as we do in the United States. We talked about how, in Italy, you rarely see flags hanging, which is extremely different from the U.S., where flags are hanging everywhere. I also enjoyed when our class tried to explain certain U.S. phenomena like wearing a bunch of school gear. Reflecting on this made me acknowledge our cultural norms and how they are different from the ones in Italy. 

My internship continues to interest me, and I still enjoy my autonomy. I realize my employers give me autonomy with my work as well as my time. For example, I updated my boss on my progress and showed him that I left some things blank in order to get other tasks done faster. He thought this was a good idea and was thankful for my work. I found it interesting that when I updated he said thank you. This made me feel valued and like I was working as a part of a team. I also went to lunch with them, and they told me some fun stories about their childhood and how they grew up together. They continue to recommend travel and ask me how my weekends were. 

Last weekend, a group of us went to Florence. I absolutely loved being in Florence and had so much fun navigating the leather markets. My favorite part of the weekend was when Kate and I got into a horse carriage and took a miniature tour of the city. It was an incredible experience, and the man driving the horse was very funny, even though we felt like the information he gave us was fake. Additionally, our Airbnb host was able to get us a reservation at a restaurant famous for its cheese wheel and truffle pasta. It was delicious and fun to watch after a long day of travel. One of the restaurants also gave us matching t-shirts that we wore as we went to the bar.

 

 

Starting Professor Gupta’s CSR course this week has been incredibly exciting and engaging. I’ve begun to really enjoy working on my WSJ posts, and my favorite part of the class is listening to my classmates discuss their articles. I appreciate our ability to debate topics and consider each other’s perspectives. Additionally, I value Professor Gupta’s willingness to play devil’s advocate, pushing us to further explain our thoughts by presenting opposing arguments. Our discussion on the Plant Fitness article highlighted various points and challenges companies face when dealing with backlash on social issues. Listening to my classmates’ thoughts was intriguing, and many points were brought up that I had never considered before. I also appreciate everyone’s willingness to share their honest opinions, as it makes us better students and allows us to compare multiple ways of thinking. I love that our discussions extend beyond the classroom! Cooper and I continued our conversation on his social media and mental health article over three-dollar beers at a nearby bar.

I’ve also really enjoyed our internship seminar. It’s important to have a place to discuss and debrief what we observe during our internships and how culture plays a part in it. The readings have been engaging, and the recent debate was particularly thought-provoking. I’ve never experienced a formal debate in a class at Lehigh, and I found it very exciting. The article we debated posed challenging questions, prompting both teams to think outside the box and tackle tough questions. I appreciated how I could relate the Parable of Sadhu and other class readings to my WSJ post, as they all question who holds responsibility in various situations. This phenomenon of passing on responsibility is common, much like bystanders watching an accident and assuming someone else will call the police.

My internship is still going well! Forming a connection with my coworkers has been challenging, as I’m only in the office one day a week. Nonetheless, I’m becoming more comfortable with them and enjoying my time there. I love the freedom of working from home, which allows me to explore Milan and work in different cafes. It also lets me use Fridays as travel days since I can work on the train. However, working from home can be distracting, especially with an ongoing project without a strict deadline. To stay on track, I set daily goals and expectations, ensuring I’m making progress. My coworkers have been extremely helpful, offering travel recommendations and asking about my experiences in Milan.

The wine-tasting class experience was fantastic. I’ve always wanted to try wine tasting, and the knowledge we gained is useful for both formal dinners and casual gatherings. Learning the steps of tasting wine, such as smelling the cork and checking for a vinegary smell, swirling the wine to observe the drips, and examining the color, was fascinating. Additionally, I thought it was really cool that you could estimate the age of a wine by its color. The class not only enhanced my appreciation for wine but also boosted my confidence in tasting wines. I was also really excited when my new wine-tasting skills came in handy when we were in Florence, and I had to test a wine!

 

 

We have yet to start Professor Gupta’s Corporate Social Responsibility course, but reading the Wall Street Journal and completing the assignments have been highly beneficial. I now feel more informed about what is happening in the world and recent news. I also appreciate that I am practicing my writing skills, as many of my recent classes have not required much reading and writing. I feel that the more I do these assignments, the better I am getting at them. Additionally, I am excited for the class to start so that I can improve at relating my articles to corporate social responsibility. I am also eager to hear my peers’ opinions and thoughts on specific topics and articles.

I look forward to more of Professor Swain’s classes and learning more about Italian culture and the work environment. I enjoyed writing my first journal entry for the internship seminar and feel that it helped me reflect on my internship experience. It also helped me process everything I have noticed about living and working in Milan. I have observed how different this class and experience are from a typical study abroad program. Working in a city is a lot different than studying there, as we are absorbing much of the culture and learning more about our surroundings. We are not only studying here, but we are also working on acclimating to the culture.

My internship has been great, and I have been trying to learn as much as I can from working with the co-founders of a startup company. I have also enjoyed the freedom of working from home most days and creating my own schedule. While the work I do is a little repetitive, I still appreciate it and find it interesting. I have had fun having lunch with my co-workers, even though I was a little nervous at first. We recently had lunch with people from other companies that work in our building, and I was able to talk to them about different things I have noticed while living here for the past two weeks.

This weekend, we had a long bus ride to the Swiss Alps. I had so much fun navigating the ziplines. At first, it was difficult to get the hang of, but eventually, it became really easy. After we finished the course, we ate sandwiches and sat out in the sun. We then went on our hike. In the beginning, the hike was gorgeous and relatively easy. We then reached a lot of snow and a super icy path along the mountain. The only way to get to the water and the view was by taking this icy path. We had to hold onto the snow on the side to keep our balance and make sure we did not fall off the mountain. I was extremely scared and worried I would slip. Eventually, we made it and watched Charlie jump into the cold water. The view was definitely worth almost dying. When it was time to leave, the walk became even scarier, and I had to slide down on my butt. This was not the best idea, as when I went to stand up, I wiped out and took Evan with me, but we fell gracefully and did not go down the mountain. Overall, it was well worth it, and I had a great time.

 

 

 

 

Upon arriving in Milan, one of the most interesting things that stood out to me was the emphasis on sustainability. For example, during our orientation for Aparto, we were asked to make sure our trash was separated. The Italian government places a strong emphasis on sustainability and waste management. In our rooms, we have four different trash bins, and we are responsible for separating our plastics, papers, and other waste. We then take the separated trash to the trash room, where there are dedicated bins for different types of waste. This process is quite different from life at home, especially living on campus, where all types of trash are thrown in the same bin. This separation has made me think more about how much waste I produce and where it goes. Additionally, I learned a lot from my internship about the EU’s new restrictions on textile waste, which I will discuss later, and their efforts to reduce textile incineration. All of these sustainability initiatives make me wonder why the United States is so far behind. If the government does not take steps toward sustainability, why would corporations want to?

I found the first day of the internship seminar interesting and very helpful. I think it is important that we not only live here but also immerse ourselves in the culture and understand the nuances of Italian life to be successful in our internships. For example, learning that coffee is very cheap because it is something you can buy for someone else as a form of gratitude, regardless of wealth. I found it very helpful when Professor Swain explained that asking questions during your internship is important because it shows your sponsor that you are interested in the work you are doing and that you care. In my opinion, in the United States, asking questions can be seen as a sign of inexperience and may suggest that you are not capable of doing the work. Next time I go into the office, I am going to ask all the questions I have written down and take thorough notes, as Professor Gupta suggested.

On the first day of my internship, I was extremely nervous, knowing I would be working alongside the company’s two co-founders. This was very intimidating, especially since I was their only intern, and the three of us were working together for the entire morning. Matteo, one of the company’s co-founders, gave me materials to read, which helped me better understand the company’s values and goals. I also read about current European textile restrictions, which gave a background of how the company meets market needs. In the past few years, the EU has created heavy restrictions on how companies can dispose of textile waste. Companies can no longer incinerate their extra inventory and must report what happens to this inventory. Must Had assists companies in data digitalization, tracking and measurement, and operational control. Their mission is to help companies with the transition toward the circular economy by making the process efficient, measurable, and scalable. Companies can come to Must Had to track their data, and Must Had will also help connect them with other companies that can assist in recycling, upselling, or reselling their waste. I found the articles Matteo provided fascinating and appreciated the opportunity to fully understand the company and ask questions. After I finished reading, Matteo explained my role as an intern and showed me how I would use Excel to help organize their data and research customers to expand the data. I was grateful that Matteo took the time to explain my responsibilities in detail and made me feel comfortable asking questions. By the end of the internship hours, I felt much more confident and excited to continue working. Additionally, I got to sit next to Matteo’s little Pomeranian, which he got while traveling in Vietnam!

This past weekend, we visited Lake Maggiore. I loved this trip and had a lot of fun exploring each island. My favorite, Isola Madre, had a beautiful landscape, and I enjoyed watching all the birds walking around. I also loved looking up at the trees and seeing oranges growing. I do wish I had read about each island beforehand so I would have some background knowledge when walking through the palace. The next day, Julia, Jen, Vic, Mads, Evelyn, and I wanted to take advantage of the beautiful weather and found a train to Genova, which we thought had many beaches. This day was hectic as we had to wake up early to catch the train, which we almost missed. Additionally, we learned that ticket sales for the train close five minutes before departure. If you do not buy your ticket on time, you can still buy one on the train, but there is a considerable fee. After we made it to our seats, we had a two-and-a-half-hour train ride to Genova. When we arrived at Genova, we thought we could stay on the train for one more stop, believing it would take us closer to a specific beach. We were wrong, and the train started going backward. We all panicked, thinking we were heading back to Milan, and the next stop was forty minutes away. We decided to ask a couple sitting near us, and they told us that the next few stops would take us to beaches and that the Genova beaches were not as nice as Genova is a port city. We got off at the next stop and found a little market with a lot of jewelry, where we spent some time shopping. Then, we had lunch on the beach and spent the rest of the day swimming, reading, and lying in the sun. While the day had a rocky start, we learned a lot about how to use the train and where to go if we wanted a beach day!

A picture from the beach in Varazze!

I am so excited to participate in the Corporate Social Responsibility course. I cannot wait to begin our open discussions, and I have always found classes that encourage open conversation and debate to be the most engaging and thought-provoking. I genuinely look forward to learning from my classmates, as their viewpoints can challenge and broaden my understanding of various topics and events. The Wall Street Journal Diary project will help me form a habit of reading about financial and business news. I once had a teacher who told me the best thing I could do for my future was read the New York Times every morning, and I have tried to stick with that habit. In today’s world, keeping up with current events is extremely important. I hope to enhance not only my understanding of corporate social responsibility but also my understanding of the business world in general.

I am particularly enthusiastic about the internship seminar and the opportunity to fully immerse myself in Italian culture. I am looking forward to not only the professional insights I will gain but also the chance to take in the traditions and customs unique to Italy. I believe that while we stay in Italy, we approach the culture with respect and a genuine desire to learn. As it is my first time traveling to Italy, I am trying to prepare as much as possible. I hope to learn as much of the language as I can in such a short amount of time and be able to navigate around the city.

The internship is one of my favorite parts of this trip. It will be my first true experience working with my major outside the classroom, and I look forward to making professional connections and networking in Milan. I know that the business atmospheres of Milan and the United States differ, and I am excited to embrace the new environment and learn as much as possible. I also hope this opportunity helps me learn more about my likes and dislikes when it comes to working in marketing. I feel as though I still have a lot to learn and explore, and I believe this opportunity will provide that space. I hope that when the trip is over, I will come back to Lehigh with a new sense of understanding of the work environment.

As I mentioned previously, this trip will be my first time in Milan. I look forward to exploring as much as possible while making new friends. One of my bucket list items is visiting Lake Como and spending time there. Eventually, I would love to take a wine-tasting class and a cooking class. I cannot wait for Italian food and trying as many restaurants and cafes as possible. I would also love to visit a vineyard and go on a vineyard tour. I hope we can go on some of these trips as a big group. I cannot wait to get to know everyone and make lasting friendships and memories.