Hello! My name is Sean Jensen, and I am a Junior at the University of Pittsburgh majoring in Philosophy, minoring in Economics, and getting a certificate in sustainability. Upon graduation from Pitt, I am planning to attend Law School after undergrad to study Environmental Law in the hopes of becoming an Environmental Lawyer. I am passionate about the environment and feel a strong need to make a positive change to change the course of human mistreatment of our natural world. 

I am from Williamsport Pennsylvania, a small town known mainly for hosting the Little League World Series each year in August. I have lived there my whole life,  and am proud to call the area home. I attended Loyalsock Township High School, where I was a varsity athlete in basketball, cross country, and tennis. As a member of the basketball team, I helped lead our team to my school’s first-ever state championship in the sport as a starter, an achievement I still hold fondly today. Alongside athletics, I also love spending time with friends, traveling, and reading and writing. 

After graduating High school, I knew that I wanted to go to the University of Pittsburgh after my first visit as a sophomore. I loved the idea of getting out of my small town to a big vibrant city like Pittsburgh, and marveled at the chance to get to know a new group of people in a whole new world. As an aspiring Philosophy major, Pittsburgh also attracted me for its nationally renowned Philosophy program, which has been ranked as high as the top three in the country. I have loved my time at the university, and have undergone tremendous growth personally, intellectually, and professionally. 

Although I knew my major going into college, I was unsure of how I would turn a degree like Philoopshy into a practical career. Recently, after much research and speaking with a working Lawyer, the law has taken the forefront of my professional aspirations and the path I plan to take after graduating. My previous professional experience featured nothing of the like, as I have only worked with children in summer camps and at my local country club as a server. In the process of this decision, I picked up the certificate in sustainability out of interest in making the world a greener place. This certificate ignited my interest in Environmental Law, a career field I am passionate about pursuing and a job in which I can find meaning and financial security. 

As a soon-to-be senior at Pittsburgh, one of my goals coming into school was to complete a travel abroad program before graduating. I have never left the country before and was itching at the chance to see the world, and I thought there would be no better opportunity to do so than through one of the offered programs. I knew that I wanted to travel in the summer, but I also felt the need to get a professional internship to strengthen my resume and further solidify my career plans. Once I saw Dublin as a location for an international internship, I knew it was the place for me. As someone with Irish ancestry, I have always wanted to travel to Ireland to see the beautiful landscapes and the historical wonders of the country that I have heard so much about from my family members. 

I have many goals for the program this summer. Since I have never had a professional internship, I am delighted to be completing one abroad at the Irish Law firm Gary Daly and Company Solicitors. This will give me the chance to try my hand at many different aspects of Irish Law, which will be invaluable to my career as I move forward. Furthermore, the opportunity to connect with working lawyers in Ireland will give me a first-hand view of what it’s like to work as one while creating professional connections on a global scale. I hope to grow personally even more since this will be my first time traveling independently and my first time traveling outside the United States. This will challenge me in ways I have never been challenged before, the optimal method to grow as a person while connecting with new peers and coworkers. Academically, I am excited to document this journey through blog posts and other assignments. This will make it great to look back on all that I did this summer while earning 6 academic credits along with it. In short, I am ecstatic to be a part of this program and cannot wait to get started!