Nature and architecture have always fascinated me, been the most beautiful things imaginable. With my first paycheck I bought a watch inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Snap. Done. Finished. Tick tock and here’s the plane.
Today was our final day in Ireland and thus our final day as Woodcocks. Tomorrow we fly back and spend a week at home before becoming something part of something greater, the Panthers. We built a product focused on maintaining memories, so I hope that all of us are able to walk away with positive memories that last a lifetime. Obviously not everything was rosy, no group can navigate a month in close proximity in two different nations without conflict, but I believe we are all walking away with an amazingly unique experience under our belts and a friend group that we will stay in contact with for the rest of university.
This morning we went to Microsoft Dublin. I was worried that it would be a similar experience to Google, but it went completely differently. While Google felt like caged chaos, Microsoft felt like an optimized supercomputer. Most importantly to me, rather than the cog-in-the-machine effect, it felt possible to see the impact of every individual in the building. Microsoft took many of the good parts of Google, such as a broad company allowing employee diversity and growth, and combined it with the positives of AirBnB, such as neighborhoods, without any of the expected drawbacks.
To top all of the positives of Microsoft as a company, the building was incredible. It was designed based on the principle of an island, so the entrance is set up as a harbor. After signing in and seeing the “Welcome CAPA/University of Pittsburgh” sign, we walked out into a massive atrium of glass. Up rises the staircase, designed to look like a mountain. Beside it falls down the glass panes of light designed to look like a waterfall until they reach the floor that displays lake and water effects and then turns into a shore of tiles. Beyond the simply artistic design, there are some significant company aspects reflected. The entire area is visible through the clear glass walls, representing a dedication to transparency. Also of note is that the tiles are extremely durable and are able to be driven across by a semi with no damage, representing a foundation of trust.
This afternoon we gave our final presentations. Despite being one of my worst performances of public speaking in the past few years, we did very well and managed to get all of our ideas across to the judges and listeners. I can now say that I have submitted a college paper and given a grade defining speech with successful results, which will hopefully help with any possible future nerves. After we finished, we were treated to a lovely dinner by our wonderful hosts at CAPA. I am so grateful for the opportunity they have allowed and for their kindness.
I look forward to returning home tomorrow, but I look forward to university even more.