Hi! I’m Caroline Bielen, and I am a rising junior at the University of Pittsburgh in the College of Business Administration. I am pursuing a double major in Finance and Accounting, a Certificate in Leadership and Ethics, and a Certificate in International Business. I am originally from Westfield, NJ, but I came to Pitt after I toured my senior year of high school. I loved that Pitt has a city vibe but still has school spirit. My favorite tradition is singing “Sweet Caroline” at the football games.
On campus, I am a brother in Delta Sigma Pi, a professional business fraternity. Many other brothers have studied abroad before, and their encouragement helped me decide to pursue this opportunity. I am also in Women in Business, which has helped me learn so much about business and what it means to be a woman in business. When I was deciding if I even wanted to study business during my freshman year, the women in this club helped me discover my passion for it. I also recently joined Smart Woman Securities, an all-woman investment portfolio and personal finance club. I was an analyst in the healthcare sector this past semester, which allowed me to learn more about investing and even present a stock pitch.
Outside of classes and professional development, I love exploring Pittsburgh with my friends. My favorite way of exploring is trying all the food the city has to offer. I also enjoy bike rides, running, and visiting new parks. I also love watching sports – my favorite teams are the Milwaukee Bucks and the New York Yankees.
This summer, I will intern in Berlin, Germany, for eight weeks through the International Internship Program (IIP). I chose this program because Berlin is home to many companies that are well-known in the US, such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, SAP, Volkswagen, and Audi. I also wanted to challenge myself by immersing myself in a new culture. I am not German, and I do not know any German! Being in a country where I am not fluent in the language will be difficult, but I hope I can learn some German before returning home. I also hope to learn about different perspectives beyond the American perspective I am familiar with.
I will be interning at Sirius Facilities as a Finance and Accounting intern. I will rotate through the firm’s various departments, including budgeting, forecasting, accounts receivable and payable, debt compliance, and investor relations. Fortunately, I met a former Pitt Business student who participated in the International Internship Program and also interned at Sirius Facilities. I met her while attending the Redefining Women’s Leadership Conference hosted by Women in Business. We were randomly seated next to each other, and she asked me about my summer plans. As I told her my plan to intern abroad at Sirius Facilities, we soon realized the funny coincidence. She said she loved the experience and enjoyed interning for them.
As an intern, I hope to learn about international finance and accounting practices. I want to be a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) when I graduate, so I am excited to learn how to apply what I am learning in my accounting classes at Pitt. I hope to grow in my presentation, teamwork, and leadership skills. I also want to learn how to effectively collaborate with people who are different from me. At school, I am used to working on projects with students around the same age as me and at the same stage in their life as me. I will now be the only intern and the only American in the office. I will have to adapt to this new reality and adjust to coworkers speaking a different language around me.
Through this international experience, I want to become more independent and confident. I will need to put myself outside of my comfort zone to meet new people, visit new places, and communicate with new people. I also hope to have fun, truly enjoy the experience, and not rush through it. During the school year, I can get caught up in my daily responsibilities and classes that I forget to appreciate the little moments. While I am exploring this new city, I want to remember to step back, reflect, and appreciate it every once in a while.
I am excited (and nervous) about the opportunity to intern abroad. I have never traveled outside of the country alone, especially for such a long period of time. I will miss all of my friends and family at home, but I am looking forward to meeting new friends and making memories in Germany. I can’t wait to see the world from a new perspective. See you next time, from Berlin!
