I can’t believe I’m finally home after being away in Europe for almost two months! Reflecting on everything I’ve done during that time, I am immensely grateful for all the experiences I had. I feel like I have grown so much from this program, both personally and professionally. When it comes to my internship, I have developed my soft and hard skills overall. Working at RCSI has helped me with my communication, time-management, leadership, and my knowledge of finance. It has also made me more aware of what type of finance I want to do in the future and how to get there. I have also learned so much more about Microsoft Excel and finance databases. Besides my professional career, I have grown as a person through this experience in various ways. I feel like I have a lot more confidence in myself and I am a much more sociable person. It has also made me more independent and knowledgeable about different cultures. This whole trip really got me out of my comfort zone, which I think is something really important for me. Sometimes I have difficulty doing things that are different and not what I’m used to, and this fear can hold me back from new experiences. So a big goal for me on this trip was to do things that made me uncomfortable or nervous, because those are usually the ones that become the best memories.

If I were to sum up my international experience, it was mostly about meeting new people, trying new things, and growing as a person. The first day was a bit challenging as I was trying to adjust to everything, but after the first week, I was already having a blast and feeling much more comfortable. I adored University College Dublin, it’s such a beautiful campus and conveniently located for commuting to the city and my workplace. My internship at the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland was the best opportunity I could have asked for. My coworkers were incredibly kind, and I thoroughly enjoyed working in the finance department. The location of my office in the city center made it easy to meet up with friends or go shopping after work. I learned so much from interning there, and I know the skills I picked up will be invaluable in the future.

Furthermore, I absolutely loved everything about Ireland and Europe overall. Having never been abroad before, this was an amazing way to travel to different countries and learn about various cultures in just a few weeks. I visited Barcelona, Amsterdam, Edinburgh, and several places in Ireland, including Galway, Kilkenny, Glendalough, and Cork. in addition, the people in Ireland are so much fun and they are such vibrant people. It has been so interesting learning more about them and their entire culture. I have a feeling that I will definitely take some of their ideas and traditions back with me to America. Lastly, I am so grateful for the friend group I had and I am already missing everyone. I made so many great friends during my time there, and since many of them also go to Pitt, I’m excited to see them when school starts up again.

I returned from Ireland not too long ago, and it’s been wonderful to settle back into my routine. The first day back, I just relaxed and caught up on sleep since the flight and time change left me quite exhausted. But now, I’m back into my normal rhythm and feeling settled. While I already miss my Dublin friends, it’s been fantastic catching up with my family and hometown friends. Even though it is nice to be back, I am already missing everything about Ireland. I am so glad that I decided to do this program and I could not have asked for a better experience. 

Some things that I would take away from this trip and bring back to Pitt with me would include the friendships that I have made and the skills that I have developed. As I mentioned before, a lot of my Dublin friends go to Pitt, so I want to try my best to make sure we keep in contact and see each other whenever we have the chance. Also, what I learned this summer will help me progress in my finance classes and in my major overall. It will also help me secure another internship and it has made me more prepared and experienced for a job in the finance industry.