Hello! My name is Ava Eros, and I am from San Francisco, California. I am re-introducing myself to the International Internship Program in Prague after my previous Leadership in the Himalayas introduction. I am a rising senior at the University of Pittsburgh pursuing a major in Marketing with a certificate in Leadership and Ethics. I was initially studying for a degree in Neuroscience, which I still have a fond interest in, but I realized after two years at Pitt that a degree in the business school would better prepare me for the possible future careers I want to pursue. While I am still defining my career path, I hope to combine my interest in hard science with ethics and international business and marketing. Outside of my academics, I enjoy working out and lifting, nutrition and health, travel and the outdoors, hiking, music, and spending time with my loved ones. I am also heavily involved in my social sorority, Delta Zeta, where I served as the Vice President of New Member Education this past year and am currently President for this upcoming year.
As mentioned, I will be participating in the eight-week International Internship Program in Prague this Summer 2024! I was drawn to this opportunity because it gave me the ability to explore my professional interests and goals while fulfilling my love for travel. I chose Prague specifically because it has always been a destination of mine, and I have heard nothing but positive comments about the city itself. The Czech Republic is one of the few countries that was left “untouched” by World War II and has a vibrant history, filled with beautiful dated architecture and a unique culture. I decided to come to Prague straight from India to save some flight money and explore on my own, and so far, I have loved observing the culture. It is breathtaking to see so much history casually throughout the city as I walk to get food or go shopping. I hope to absorb as much knowledge about the country as I can from locals during my eight-week stay.
Professionally, I hope to better define the career path I want to pursue once I receive my degree. While I do not have a strictly defined path for my career yet, I know my interests and values and want those to align with the company or area of work I enter into. With a love for travel and experiencing different cultures, I want to work in the area of international marketing. I have also been interested in business ethics, particularly pertaining to AI, science, and technology, so working in this realm of marketing would be ideal. This experience gives me direct, real-world exposure to this area of work, so I want to confirm that my goals are right for me and that it is actually an area in which I want to build a career. I also hope to build my personal connections and network on a global level, as well as understand how different countries interact with each other. I will be working with Artisème, a lifestyle design store, as a marketing intern. They value beautiful, timeless pieces and emphasize the importance of introspection and uniqueness. I will gain experience in different forms of promotion, marketing tactics, data analysis, and social media during my internship, which I could not be more excited about.
Academically, I have gained a great deal of knowledge about business and marketing within the past year. The information I’ve learned through my academic career can only be taught so much in the classroom. Yet, it only counts as so much until I am able to apply my learned skills to real-world scenarios in a hands-on environment to heighten my overall education. I will be faced with real-time scenarios where I will have to make quick decisions and apply what I have learned, which will enrich my skill set. I am also excited to apply my teamwork and leadership skills (that I so heavily practiced this past month in the Himalayas) to a professional environment.
Personally, this will give me yet another experience to immerse myself in a new culture. I want to further confirm that I can thrive in unfamiliar environments and situations and test my adaptability. This program will also put my transferable skills to the test and see where my strengths lie and what my weaknesses are. While I understand myself and my values well so far in life, I have yet to see how I perform in a professional setting. This program will give me confidence within the workplace and highlight potential areas of improvement that I can carry with me to my next internship or job position. It will also provide me with significant exposure to differences in beliefs and practices that I want to experience, which I cannot find working within the United States. Overall, I want to grow more personally and better understand myself and what I want out of my future.