2024 Lehigh-in-Milan with Professor Gupta

In our CSR class this week, we presented our final projects!  My group’s presentation started out with a little bit of struggle with the technology in our classroom, but went relatively well after that hiccup.  Since then, we have been working on our paper and making some edits based on Professor Gupta’s feedback after our presentation.  As this class comes to an end, it makes me think back to the first week of the program, when I was complaining to myself about having to read pointless news articles.  I have now found myself reading the WSJ for my enjoyment after completing all of those assignments.  I never found myself as a news guy, but these stories are ones that all may have an impact on my life, so it is nice to be up to date with the times, and the news is always a great small talk topic.  I have enjoyed this class a lot, and it opened my eyes to a lot of the issues and topics in our world that I had no idea even existed.

This week in our internship seminar class, we also had our final presentations!  My group did a sustainability focused topic about how Milan and Italy and general are trying to fight to lower CO2 emissions, and how it has been going.  It was super interesting to see all the little differences between Italy’s plan and the plan of the US.  I think if both of them were to combine their plans, they’d both be in great shape! But what do I know.  We also had a little interview workshop where Professor Gupta gave us some of his best tips from his past and then let us practice with our friends.  I have already been in a few interview scenarios, but they were all on Zoom, so it was great to get some tips for an in-person interview, as the world will likely be going back to that very soon.  Overall, this class taught me a lot about the professional world in both Italy and back home, and I am thankful for all the knowledge and skills I have developed!

At TempoCasa this week, we have been putting on the finishing touches to a great seven weeks.  We have a lunch planned for the whole office this week as a farewell, along with coffee at a special restaurant.  We are filming one last video for their Instagram which is a little different than the typical real estate video.  Putting a funny twist on Americans living in Italy, we are making a little comedy video about the things that are looked at differently in Milan vs. America such as flip flops, shorts, eating while walking, etc.  It was a great seven weeks at TempoCasa and it has been an experience I will never forget.  Not only did I learn a lot about real estate in general, but I also built some lifelong relationships with not only my fellow interns, but coworkers as well.

This past weekend, a group of 14 of us rented a place in Split, Croatia.  The beaches and water were unbelievably blue and clear, along with the surprisingly warm weather which was nice for swimming.  It was super nice to get out of the city and have a nice relaxing weekend away.  We also spent the day on Saturday on a party boat which was super fun and had two stops where we could swim in the crystal clear water.  The only negative was our early flight on Sunday morning, but it was definitely worth it for the trip.  This was my first time outside of Italy this summer and it was interesting to see the differences.  Although we were on a beach, it was super refreshing to see everyone in shorts, swimsuits, and flip flops.  There were also a lot more foreigners from other places such as Sweden, Australia, New Zealand and more.  It was especially refreshing to have other English speaking people around.  Overall, it was a super nice way to end the trip with a large group of my friends in a fun city!

This week in Professor Gupta’s Corporate Social Responsibility class, each group presented their findings on their final topics. The topics covered issues that are highly relevant to our world and future. I was particularly interested in the presentation about cancel culture. Growing up online, it’s something I’ve been very aware of throughout my life. My sisters and I often discuss it, especially when we see it happening to social media influencers. Hearing about it from a corporate perspective was fascinating. The group used Amazon as an example, highlighting how despite the backlash over worker treatment, the company’s size makes it hard to cancel. This raises the question: is Amazon too big to be canceled? If Amazon is too big to be canceled, does it mean that this corporation can continue to do illegal and harmful things with no consequences? Especially when they are not held to the same standard as individuals.  

In Professor Swain’s and Professor Gupta’s Internship Seminar, each group presented on a topic related to Italy. I found the presentation on the “Made in Italy” tag particularly intriguing. It discussed how these tags are more popular than products without them. I could relate because, when shopping at leather markets in Italy, I was drawn to items with this tag as they felt more authentic. I was surprised to learn there’s little regulation on these tags; just because a product has one doesn’t mean it’s actually made in Italy. The presentation mentioned that “Made in Italy” tags can be purchased online, allowing anyone to use them to attract customers. My group presented on sustainability practices in Italy, and it was interesting to hear how Professor Swain integrated these practices into her life there. I have struggled to adopt them while living in Aparto, because it is so different from the U.S.. As in the U.S., it is not part of everyday life to make sure your garbage is being disposed of correctly, which, is my opinion, is a negative. 

At work this week, my boss was on vacation in Barcelona on Monday, leaving just me and a colleague who is close in age. She played many popular American songs and asked if I knew them. I spent the rest of the time sending emails to various corporations, having finally received my online signature from Sofia over the weekend. On Wednesday, my boss returned, and I got to ask her about her trip. Sending my last emails was bittersweet. Saying goodbye to Caterina, who had been very kind and made my experience great, was hard. I’m excited to add this experience to my resume and discuss it in future interviews, as it’s a unique experience that sets me apart from other candidates.

This past weekend, a group of us traveled to Split, Croatia. I was nervous about flying, as I’ve only flown on U.S. airlines, but the flight was smoother than my trip from the U.S. to Milan. On the first day in Split, we visited a beach club. It was 90 degrees, and being near the water was amazing. The water was bright blue with small fish swimming in it. We had dinner along the water, enjoying the beautiful view. The next day, we went on a boat tour, jumping into the water at various points. I even jumped off the higher level of the boat, which was scary at first but exhilarating. That night, we dined at a restaurant where a stray cat joined us. The restaurant gave us milk for the cat, and he sat on my lap for the rest of the meal, eventually falling asleep. We had to catch an 8 AM flight the next morning, meaning a 5 AM wake-up, but it was worth it to see Croatia.

Beach Club in Split

Cat outside the restaurant we were having dinner at.

View on a walk in Split.

The final week of CSR classes was dedicated to final presentations. I appreciated that the final presentation and paper were related. I drafted my portion of the paper before I started the presentation, making the presentation easier to generate and present. I was then able to revise my paper after getting feedback about my presentation, maximizing my overall understanding. My group’s research topic was about data privacy on social media, and how to balance it between individuals and corporations. I have always been weary about sharing too much information on social media because it could easily get in the wrong hands. My reservations had always revolved around other users, but this topic showed me how the social media platforms themselves may be the biggest enemy. This topic was very eye opening, and I appreciated the opportunity to learn more about data privacy rights. It was also interesting to hear from my classmates about their prospective research topics and see how they tied their issues to corporate social responsibility. As a result of the presentations I realized how much CSR relates to all aspects of business, and once this class ends I will continue to recognize the impact that corporations have on society. 

The internship seminar was similar to CSR this week, and we spent the majority of class presenting our final projects. Each group had the autonomy to choose their research topic and focus, which made the presentations more engaging because everyone was interested in what they presented. Interestingly, many groups choose to study sustainability in Italy. I personally was amazed by how prevalent sustainability initiatives are in Italy, something that is not prioritized in the US. These presentations developed my understanding of Italian sustainability beyond what I picked up on by living here for 8 weeks. The first part of the internship seminar was focused on the interview process, which I think was a great learning experience. I have had a few interviews previously and as an intern for the Center for Career and Professional Development I have learned about the logistics, but I always appreciate when a well versed individual shares their personal experience and advice (like Professor Gupta here). 

The final week of my internship is about tying everything together that I have learned and worked on over the course of two months. My internship advisor was pleased with the studies and reports I found on scholarly databases like JSTOR. These links will help the CHIARA team because they explore women’s health in international border towns or each separately and can use past studies as reference when in the analysis phase. Since the data collection is not at the stage that was anticipated when I started the internship, I could not do too much coding. On Tuesday, I met with my internship advisor to do what we could with the data. Earlier that morning, the group went to the Politecnico di Milano for our final time. We got a personalized tour of the chemical engineering laboratory. It was an amazing experience and the lab is working on prosthetics and cardiovascular devices. Seeing the innovation and efforts of the lab was inspiring. To wrap up this interview experience Rory, Mahan and I are meeting with our advisor on Friday to present our internship reports and walk through all we accomplished. Since I am getting a degree in both Population Health and Economics, I was excited to experience one of my degrees in the real world. While I enjoyed my internship, I am interested in getting an internship next summer that revolves around economics to see if I like the field better. 

Split, Croatia was the destination of choice for the last weekend of my European summer. The trip was really quick because of the flight options from MXP to Split, and I was up at 3:30am on Friday to catch my flight. As soon as I arrived in Split, I realized that I have never seen anything quite like it. The architecture was beachy but still had authentic old european architecture, which was a beautiful combination. We spent the first day at a beach club about 2 miles from Old Town, and we walked there along the water. The summer adventure continued and we spent Saturday afternoon on a boat, swimming off the coast of Croatia in beautiful Blue Lagoons. The trip was the perfect combination of relaxing and fun. During the day I was able to finish my 7th book of the summer (a running record) and at night I got to explore the city. We ended up playing cards for 3+ hours on Saturday, which may have been my favorite part of the trip. I feel like I have spent the last 7 weeks trying to become a part of Milan, so I avoided the tourist attractions. The rest of the week I plan on enjoying what I love about Milan as an exchange student but will hopefully get tickets to go inside the Duomo (and be a bit of a tourist). It is bittersweet to say goodbye to this chapter, but I am excited to rest and recuperate for the next month before I go back to school for OL training.

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).

Corporate Social Responsibility
This past week, all the groups gave their final presentations in class. Originally, I was super nervous for my presentation, but after putting in a lot of time and effort into practice, I felt adequately prepared and delivered it well. I made sure to include a couple of the public speaking techniques we learned last week in the EY video, specifically the silent pause, the open face, and usage of hands, although I may have used my hands a little too much. Professor Gupta stumped our group with a question about why people don’t rise up more against corporations practicing harmful actions. I will be sure to look more into his question and address it in the final paper. One of the other presentations that I found particularly intriguing was the one about AI usage, specifically the deepfake section. I am fearful that history could be rewritten by people creating unidentifiable fake videos of the past.

Internship Seminar
This week in the Internship Seminar class, we all presented our final projects. My project focused on Italy’s sustainability efforts, specifically the improvements aimed at reducing carbon emissions. My team did a great job working together and delegating different aspects of the project. My main contribution was an interview I conducted with my Italian friend, Luca Prando, who was born and raised in Genova. I asked him various questions about recycling and cigarette usage. My main takeaway from the interview was that Italy has made significant strides in sustainability compared to the US, although cigarettes are ingrained in Italian culture and likely won’t go away. Our group’s presentation went satisfactorily. I must admit, the day was a bit monotonous because most of the presentations also focused on sustainability. The last thing I need to do for this class is the final paper, which I unfortunately haven’t started yet. I am excited to reflect upon my summer, seeing which cultural differences I embraced and which I pushed away.

Internship
My TurboCrowd internship is coming to an end, and it feels bittersweet. Livi and I have created our final questionnaire and will send it out in the next couple of days. It is satisfying to see our project come together with a tangible result. Working with the team has been wonderful, largely thanks to Claudio, who was an incredible boss. Throughout the summer, I learned many skills, both hard and soft. However, I am excited for the internship to be over. Near the end of the program, I lost much of my motivation and felt stuck in a lull. Despite this, I managed to push through and complete my tasks.

Travel and Cultural Immersion
This last weekend, a group of 14 of us traveled to Split, Croatia, for a two-night beach vacation. It was my first time traveling outside of Italy this summer, highlighting just how much there is to see within Italy itself. Our Airbnb was in a lively spot, only a few minutes’ walk from the water. The peculiar thing we all noticed immediately was that the bay area smelled like rotten eggs. After some research, we discovered it was due to sulfur baths used during the Roman era. On our first day in Split, we went to a beautiful beach club and spent the day rotating between swimming and roasting in the sun. On the second day, we embarked on a big five-hour boat trip around the coast of Croatia. We got to jump off the boat and swim in several gorgeous spots, including the stunning Blue Lagoon. That night, a group of us hung out and played cards for over five hours, staying up for our flight that departed at 8 AM. I felt absolutely delirious in the airport after the long weekend and lack of sleep. Overall, it was a fun weekend for the books and the perfect way to wrap up our summer travels.

For our last week of the CSR class, we had presentations. My group presented on Big Pharma and the access to life-saving drugs. My group took the position that we think everyone should have access to life-saving drugs and it should also be affordable for them. During my research, there were so many different factors in the US that made these drugs not affordable nor accessible especially to those that do not have high incomes or live in a place where the better technology is. A lot of Big Pharma money is spent on R&D, market research, failed drugs, and the phases and trials one must do to bring a drug to the market. But, my main question was why other countries that are the same if not wealthy as the United States have 100% universal healthcare and also have it be more affordable and accessible. The country we looked into was Switzerland. In Switzerland, within 3 months of moving there permanently, you have to get healthcare and prove it to the government. They have a basic package that everyone has to have and then depending if you want to have a higher healthcare package, you can pay extra. The basic package covers things including illnesses and maternal care, and these companies cannot profit from selling their basic healthcare packages. Looking at this opened my eyes because I called my mom to talk about my healthcare. In my freshman year in high school, I broke my wrist snowboarding and I did not know how much it cost nor did it feel like it affected my family because we receive healthcare through my dad’s employer. In this conversation, I learned that the entire cost of breaking my wrist, including the ER, surgery, pins, post-op, and check-up was around 35,000 dollars which I had no idea. With my insurance, my parents only paid roughly 3,000 dollars, but it made me get into a conversation with my mom about what if we didn’t have the health insurance we did or couldn’t afford health insurance. It made me realize how lucky I am to be able to be covered and this incident does not cause a huge strain on my parents, but it made me want to look into what can be done for the US to achieve a better healthcare model like Switzerland. 

This week in our internship seminar my group presented on our topic of waste management around Italy. We had a lot of fun creating the videos that went into our slides and were so sad that they were unable to play for the class. Apart from that, doing fieldwork for a project including going and watching are things I haven’t done for many projects in high school or college so I thought that it was a fun project to do. It also opened my eyes to how different waste management in Italy is then in the US and made me realize that the US could do a much better job at recycling and it could be so much better for the environment, people just have to want to do it.  We also did mock interview prep with our peers, I did mine with Julia Dzurenko and we both brainstormed and helped each other answer these questions and also figure out what we were good at answering and what we needed to work on more and also the questions we were given was a good mock prep to what employers might ask especially as interview season is coming up in the fall. 

This week for the final week of our internship we helped finish up our SIGEP project that we have been working on all semester. However, this project is not done, because it is a lengthy process that will not be done until October or November as the trade show begins in January. This week we just finished up what we were doing and organized it in a way that our boss, Kamal could pick up where we left off and there would be a smooth transition from us doing our work for him to do it after we leave. It has been a great learning experience learning how to go into the office every day work with others and build relationships with my coworkers and boss. I would recommend this internship to others who are doing this program because it helped me learn about business as well as working with clients and provided a great experience for what I have to look forward to next summer with my internship. 

This past weekend, for our final weekend, we decided to travel to Split, Croatia which was so fun! This was our first time getting on a plane so I was a little nervous about how it would work and making sure we didn’t miss any flights because they were both at 6 am. The water was so beautiful in split and it was super clear also. The only bad thing about the water was how salty it was. It was hard to swim for a while because it would hurt your eyes and destroy your hair a little bit, but this did not stop us from swimming as much as we did. I also did a cliff jumping which was a little scary especially my first time doing it my stomach dropped and I felt like I lost all the air in my lungs, but it was so fun and I got over the fear and did it a few more times. We also did a party boat thing with a bunch of other people which was so fun because we drove to two different spots that we could swim in and one was near the famous blue lagoon, but our boat was too big to actually go to the blue lagoon. Overall this trip was fun, but I am definitely reaping the benefits from it as Tuesday morning I woke up with a fever and it still did not go away on Wednesday. I really hope I can get well before I have to travel home because I do not want to be in a plane for 9 hours while having aches and a fever. I am excited to go home on Saturday but it is definitely bittersweet because this experience was amazing and I definitely recommend it to others!

Inside the Starbucks Roastery Reserve

A picture of Split from the boat.

Kate, Evelyn, Mads and I swimming off the boat!

A picture of Kate and our drinks from the reserve.

 

In our Corporate Social Responsibility class this week, we all presented our research and findings on our group paper topics. Some presentations I found really interesting were on Cancel Culture and AI and Corporate Social Responsibility. It was interesting to hear about how AI and Cancel Culture both add to our generation. I learned how AI is transforming the progress of production and how information is shared, and how cancel culture actually makes a difference in corporations’ behavior. I presented our topic on ESG-Based Investing with Charlie and Addy, and I think researching this topic helped me understand how important it is for companies to invest in our environment, their workers, and all ESG practices. This will also lead to long-term success and allow our economy to prosper while companies are making a profit. Since this is the last week taking this course, I wanted to reflect on the entire class. It is crazy to think about how much knowledge I gained in seven weeks by listening to others, forming my own opinions on these topics, and debating them in arguments. This class has shown me that I can speak on my opinions and not be afraid to share them. I also improved on listening to others who might offer another perspective and think about it in relation to my own. In my next classes at Lehigh, I will take everything I learned and speak in class more because I really saw how participating allows me to absorb the information being presented. I also will be continuing to read Wall Street Journals and staying informed about what’s going on in our world today. I will take everything from this course into my interviews, career, and use for the rest of my life.

In our internship seminar class this week, we presented our chosen topics based on Italy and information we researched while adding what we learned in class. I enjoyed learning more about the different cultures and how race and ethnicity differ in Milan. I also presented on sustainability in Italy, specifically the government regulations that make an impact. I learned a lot of sustainable practices in Italy that I will take home with me, including separating my trash and using more public transportation. This class has taught me how to adapt to Italian culture and be a successful intern. I will take everything I learn from the seminar into my internship next summer and my future job. I am also looking forward to the going-away dinner on Friday.

In my internship this week, Sophie and I finished our business plan for the SOSpesa project. From the first week at Off Campus, I had a great time working with my coworkers from Politecnico University, other interns from Italy, and Sophie, who is also in the Lehigh in Milan group. From the start, everyone was so welcoming and kind. Throughout the weeks, I enjoyed getting to know my coworkers, getting coffee, lunch, or just talking in the office. They were very encouraging of Sophie and me learning Italian and would often teach us phrases and then help us practice when out of the office. Some notable things I learned off-campus were how to conduct a case study, data analysis on a certain topic, and how to design an effective presentation. These skills actually helped me a lot when putting together our presentations for class this week. I also really enjoyed an event we got to attend with a company they are partnering with called the Hub. There was a presentation and ribbon-cutting for the new fridge they will be using to hold fresh food to be later donated. It was so cool to see the things they plan finally in action. Lastly, I am excited for an aperitivo with all of our coworkers Thursday night and thank them for having us for the summer.

In Milan this weekend, I stayed in Milan and got to see and try many foods I never had before. To wrap up my entire time here, although I am ready to get back home and see all my family and friends, I could not talk enough about how much I enjoyed having this experience. I am really gonna miss being here and the people here. I have made such great friends and such a great group of people. I think I have learned so much about Italian culture in such a short time and will definitely be coming back. I have never lived alone before and this experience showed me that I can do it on my own and made me feel ready to start working in the real world one day. This inspired me to go apply to go abroad again in the spring and experience a new culture in Sydney, Australia. I want to thank Professor Gupta for all the valuable teachings and knowledge you shared with us. And thank you to Professor Gupta, IES, and Lehigh for giving me the opportunity to participate in this program.

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!

This week in CSR class we are presenting our final presentations. My presentation is about the negative effects of social media platforms due to its effect on mental health, the false information that is spread, privacy concerns and personal data being misused and stolen, as well as the overwhelming advertisements. I thought this was a very interesting thing to research because my generation uses social media on a daily basis and the privacy concerns are nor widely known. I found it very interesting and beneficial to see how these platforms can be harmful to us and have the potential to endanger us by selling our information. This has made me more mindful about what information I give to apps and websites as well as think about the future effect of what I am posting online. 

 

In the internship seminar we also presented our final projects. These projects were comparing the cultures and the way Italy works to the rest of the world. It has allowed me to reflect on some of the cultural differences I have experienced while being here and why things might run this way. My group’s presentation was focused on their sustainability and waste management efforts which are much greater than the waste management efforts in the US. I learned that Italy is one of the major leaders for composting and recycling efforts in the European Union. In addition, this is related to my internship because I am interning for the sustainability department CNMI which is in the fashion industry and I have seen their huge efforts in minimizing waste and focusing on a circular economy which was reflected in my research.

 

In my internship this week I have been continuing to work on the presentation for the Sustainable Fashion Awards that will be held during Milan fashion week in september. I am organizing all the brands’ applications for their sustainable efforts and initiatives in areas including Craftsmanship, Groundbreaker, Diversity, Climate, Biodiversity, Human Capital, and Education. Additionally, I am creating a presentation of all the finalists in each category for the Jury to vote on the winner this friday. This has been a very interesting process because I have been able to see all the amazing things brands are doing to increase their sustainability and overall beneficial impact to the world. I have found that this also relates to corporate social responsibility because oftentimes these efforts are done to increase their CSR. Overall, I have found that my internship has related to both of the classes we are currently taking and I think doing this simultaneously has allowed me to better understand how and why corporations are evolving. 

 

This weekend we went to Split, Croatia! This was our first time taking a plane to go somewhere and we had to wake up at 3 am in the morning in order to get there in time which was very challenging. However, this was nice because we ended up getting there at 9 am on Friday and we had the whole day to enjoy where we were. That day we got breakfast at a restaurant near our air bnb that overlooked the water and then we headed to a beach club. The weather was so nice and it was very fun to be at the beach one more time before we went home, however, since it was so nice it was very crowded. The next day we did a 6 hour boat tour where we got to see different areas around split and even go swimming! This was so fun but definitely very tiring. After this we got dinner, relaxed and ended up playing card games until our flight home at 5 am. Then by Sunday I was exhausted and slept all day and worked on my final projects for the week.

 

On Monday, in our Corporate Social Responsibility class, my group presented first on Artificial Intelligence and Corporate Social Responsibility. Working on this project made my personal outlook on the future of AI more positive. Going through the CSR course and researching AI issues, I have been surprised by my changing opinion about restrictions to solve issues. I feel like our best bet for having an overall beneficial impact from developing AI is by letting companies freely develop these technologies. Restrictions can be helpful in certain situations, but ultimately, AI will be available everywhere, and making certain developments illegal won’t fully stop them from occurring. Instead of restricting and monitoring, we need to focus more on developing AI for good purposes to combat bad purposes.

This week in our internship seminar, we presented our group research projects. My group decided to learn about the topic of Race, Ethnicity and/or Gender in Contemporary Italy, but we focused most on race and ethnicity for our presentation. After hearing some biases from our interviewee against southern Italians, I wanted to look more into Italy’s North vs South dynamic. I found that there is a big divide between the two regions, which can be attributed to the different countries that historically ruled them and influenced their individual cultures, customs, and cuisines. My research revealed that the stereotypes and names the two regions call each other are generally not seen as offensive by newer generations and are used more jokingly. 

On Tuesday, Clare, Mahan, and I went to Politecnico to tour some of the labs. We saw many machines used to test how materials that make up the body respond to physical stress and others that simulate blood flow in different parts of the body. We were also able to view and touch various medical devices, including a soft intestinal tube implant, metal stents, a titanium knee joint replacement, and a spine implant. The most interesting thing I saw was a ceramic hip joint prosthetic that can be used to make hip motion extremely smooth. After meeting with my boss on Monday, we decided to continue focusing on importing data to the database due to some inconsistencies and missing data. For the rest of the week, I did just this and worked on a final report on my internship.

Last Friday morning, a friend and I took a flight to Prague for the weekend. We dropped our luggage off at Dream Hostel and started exploring Old Town. We saw one of the hourly Astronomical Clock shows, climbed Old Town Hall for a view of Prague, got chimney cakes, and saw the John Lennon wall. For dinner, we walked to Kantýna, a cool restaurant and butcher shop. They have all of their meats and sides cooked, and you choose what you want before sitting at communal tables with others. I got beef brisket with different pickled vegetables, and it was the best meal I had all weekend. Afterward, we went to the Ice Pub, and like it sounds, the whole bar is made of ice. On Saturday, we hit all the top spots in Prague, including Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, Golden Lane, Vrtba Garden, Klementinum, Letná Park, and the Church of Our Lady of the Snows. Back at the hostel, we met some Australian and Irish friends to spend the night with. On Sunday morning, we had breakfast at Mezi Srnky before going to the airport. It was a really fun and interesting weekend to end the program with.