Hello, my name is Luke Thompson. This summer I will be spending my summer in Dublin. I have a dual major in Data Science and Economics at the University of Pittsburgh. I just finished up my Sophomore year, but technically it will be my Junior year since I plan on graduating in three years. I am a part of many clubs at Pitt, including PEP and Panther Equity. I am grateful that Pitt has a program like this for me to join.

The internship I am working on this summer is as an IT at the University College Dublin. The primary task I will be assigned is to transfer all their information to the new system. This task will be a fantastic way for me to apply my technical knowledge to a real-world system migration project. Another task is that the college will be giving me data to work with and allow me to create a project. This opportunity to work for the IT department and use their data will be helpful not only to me but to the university as well.  I hope I do well this summer making an impression on UCD, and putting a good name out there for the University of Pittsburgh. I want to show that students from Pitt are ready to contribute, adapt, and lead when given the chance.

There are many reasons I chose to participate in the Dublin International Internship Program. One reason is that this would be a great opportunity for me to experience work culture outside of the U.S. Having a foreign job on my resume looks great for companies. It will be an experience that stands out and helps me get jobs in the future. Another reason is getting a unique experience to work for a job in a foreign country. Another reason I chose to participate in this program is that my whole family is from Ireland, so it’s unique to come back and see my roots. I don’t know when my next opportunity will be to visit my roots, so I might as well enjoy it while I can. The main part of the culture I want to experience is Gaelic sports. Ever since I was a child, I have enjoyed sports, but have only experienced American sports. To have an opportunity to enjoy another country’s sports will be an amazing experience. Another reason I took this internship is that I will be able to travel to other countries as well. I will be spending most of my time in Ireland, but that does not mean I shouldn’t experience other cultures while I am here. Flights are extremely cheap to get all around Europe, so I hope I can travel on the weekends. Lastly, the reason is that this program will be a great opportunity for creating connections, whether they be job-related or just friends.

This job is an opportunity for me to show that my success in school can be brought to the real world. School isn’t the only thing that will help me with this new job; my work experience as a cashier will be beneficial to the department. I can use my hardworking and friendly mentality, and apply it at the internship. I will be able to work with not only my colleagues but also any student who needs help. I also believe my club experience will be helpful for me because it shows I can work with other people. I hope this opportunity will help me develop many of my skills. Since IT handles many problems from a wide variety of subjects, this will help me experience any type of issue that can come up in the future. This experience will be my first job in a workplace related to my major,  so I want to learn more about what kind of roles in tech and data I’m best suited for—whether that’s systems management, analytics, or user support. This experience will also help me develop my collaboration abilities and problem-solving. I hope to build strong professional relationships and gain mentorship from those with experience in the field. Exposure to the day-to-day challenges of an IT department in a large academic institution will give me practical insights that are impossible to learn in a classroom. Overall, even though this IT internship is not exactly related to my major, it will be extremely important for me to do. I am grateful to get this opportunity, with the main goal being to leave a lasting impact on the IT department at UCD.