Hey everyone! My name is Kaleb Desso, and I’m a rising junior at the University of Pittsburgh, majoring in Finance and minoring in Economics. I’m from Mechanicsburg Pennsylvania, and this summer I’m headed across to Seoul, South Korea for an international internship with DeltaTech-Korea Ltd.
First, I’d like to tell you a little bit about me! Outside of class, I’m super into music – I’m a DJ in my free time – and I’ve played soccer for most of my life. I really enjoy being around people, whether it’s hanging out with friends or meeting new ones through the various things I’m involved in on campus. I’ve always liked staying busy, trying new things, and putting myself in situations that challenge me. That’s part of the reason I chose to study abroad in the first place.
I chose to participate in the Seoul International Internship Program because I wanted to push myself – both personally and professionally – in a way that staying in the U.S. just doesn’t do. I’ve always been curious about different cultures and how people live and work in other parts of the world. 2 years ago, I spent a month in Japan with my dad. Here, we backpacked through 8 different cities, immersing ourselves in Japan’s incredible culture. After coming home from Japan I knew I wanted to spend more time in Asia, as it was an incomparable journey. When looking to study abroad I knew that Seoul seemed like the perfect place to explore another beautiful country/culture. It’s fast-paced, modern, and full of history. South Korea has always been on my bucket list and now I get to live and work there for this summer!
The company I’ll be interning with, DeltaTech, focuses on innovation and business development, helping startups and global partners with things like tech commercialization, licensing, R&D, and strategic planning. While it doesn’t exactly align with my major, I am very much looking forward to the transferable skills that I will obtain while being involved with real projects that tie into international business, client work, and problem-solving – all things I’m really interested in long-term.
At Pitt, most of my classes have been pretty analytical so far – accounting, business analytics, decision analytics, and some early finance courses. It’s been a great foundation, but I’ve definitely been looking for ways to apply that knowledge in the real world. I’m hoping this internship gives me a better sense of how businesses actually operate internationally, especially when it comes to working with clients, communicating ideas, and understanding the bigger picture.
Throughout high school and my first two years of college, I’ve gained experiences that I look forward to bringing to my internship. I was the head bartender at a restaurant where I worked closely with my boss to open a second restaurant. I currently serve as the Director of New Member Education in my fraternity, where I run our structured leadership development program. In high school, I was President of our Mini-THON, leading 500+ students and 23 committees to raise over $320,000 in a single year for childhood cancer. These experiences particularly have shown me a lot about the type of leader and contributor I am in a team setting. I look forward to seeing how these skills that I’ve picked up can be applied to my experience at DTK.
Even with a solid background, I still have a lot to learn – especially when it comes to working in a global setting. I’m really hoping this experience helps me improve how I connect with people from different backgrounds, understand international markets better, and develop skills I can take with me into future finance internships or full-time roles. I’m particularly excited about working with DeltaTech because they do a lot of client-facing work, and that’s something I want to get better at.
On a more personal note, I’m just really looking forward to experiencing something completely different. I’ve never been so far from home for so long, and I know it’s going to be a big adjustment – but I’m looking forward to it. I want to explore more, see new places, and get out of my usual routine. I think it’s important to throw yourself into situations where you don’t have all the answers and have to figure things out as you go. That’s where the real growth happens.
To conclude, I want to say how grateful I am for the opportunity to do something like this. It definitely hasn’t all been smooth – there were a few bumps along the way getting to this point – but I’m thankful it worked out. I’m excited to meet new people, learn more about Korean culture, eat some amazing food, and grow in every way I can. I’ll be posting every week while I’m abroad, so feel free to follow along!
