Hello! I’m Erica Brunner. I just finished up my Junior year at Pitt, where I am pursuing a Double Degree in Marketing and Film & Media Studies. In my free time, I participate in a few clubs on campus. This includes Women in Business, American Marketing Association, and STEP@Pitt (Service Dog in Training Education Program). To add to that, one of my favorite aspects of Pitt is all of the incredible study abroad opportunities that they offer. As a Freshman, I attended Plus3 Costa Rica where I learned about the Coffee Supply Chain. Also, during my Sophomore year, I attended the Global Business Institute program in London, and I also took part in a film program in Los Angeles. Needless to say, I love to travel and learn about different cultures.
In a little less than two weeks, I will be leaving my home in Pittsburgh once again and heading to Dublin, Ireland. I have been anticipating this trip all year, and I am excited for my study abroad program there to begin. The specific program that I will be taking part of is called the International Internship Program (IIP). This eight week program places students in full-time internships abroad. This pushes students to employ what they have learned at Pitt in a professional environment. This program also helps students to become more globally competent and form an international network. For my internship, I will be working in the marketing department at DublinTown. This is a not for profit organization that works with 2,500 in the city center. Their goal is to make Dublin into a more welcoming city with an enhanced trading performance. I am especially looking forward to this opportunity since it will allow me to employ knowledge from Marketing classes as well as creative skills that I acquired from my film classes.
Pitt offers the IIP in several different countries. This includes the Czech Republic, France, Spain, Germany, and, of course, Ireland. The main reason that I chose to go to Ireland, specifically, is because I am partially Irish. My great, great grandparents, Alice and William Lawler, were from Enniskerry –a town South of Dublin. Alice even worked as a maid in Powerscourt for a few years. Moreover, I am excited to explore my family’s heritage during my time in Ireland, and I will definitely make a trip to Enniskerry and Powerscourt during my time there.
There are so many other appealing aspects of the IIP that have led to me selecting it. First of all, I am fascinated by international travel and learning about new cultures. The program will allow me to experience others’ customs, try local food, hear traditional music, meet diverse people, and explore many other aspects of the host country. This would influence my worldview and help me to become a better and more understanding global citizen. Next, as I said earlier, I have participated in several study abroad programs before, but I have not yet been able to work at an internship during this type of program. This could improve my career prospects for the future. Additionally, I have selected this program because it will challenge me. This experience will force me to step outside my comfort zone and grow into a more competent, independent person.
Participating in the IIP will also benefit me academically. The credits from this program will help me to reach 150 credits –this is the minimum amount I will need to graduate with a double degree. Also, this program would provide me with the opportunity to put the business knowledge I have learned so far at Pitt Business into practice at an internship. To add to that, this program is important to my academic career because it allows me to explore aspects of my majors that would not be possible on the Oakland campus. In Oakland, I would not be able to fully grasp how the international marketing environment functions nor how Dublin’s culture and history influences the media that it produces. Thus, the IIP will help me to truly understand these concepts.
Participating in this professional experience will additionally allow me further several of my career goals. First, I am excited by the possibility of working with a company that has a global reach. DublinTown wants their marketing to appeal internationally in order to encourage more people to come and visit Dublin. Working with DublinTown will thus help me to get a better grasp of the international marketplace –knowledge that would be extremely useful to employ once I start working in a fulltime job after college. Additionally, the IIP allows me to enhance my network. By building valuable relationships with the people I meet during this global experience, I will increase my international connections which may lead to career opportunities. Lastly, this program will look very appealing to future companies that I will apply for. The program will act as a great talking point during interviews, and it will prove to companies that I am willing to take risks and step outside my comfort zone. Thus, I will be sure to take full advantage of this internship in order to further my career goals.