Introduction

Hi, my name is Keira Diaz. I am from Bel Air, Maryland, and I am currently 21. I am the oldest sister and I have two younger sisters, also at home I have a dog and a crested gecko. All of which I miss dearly when I am in school. I have never left the country before and this will be my first time in Europe.

I currently am a rising senior, I am pursuing an Environmental Science degree with a classics minor. I am also involved on campus with two different clubs and organizations. I am currently in the conservation club and I am also on the club’s board this upcoming academic year. The other organization that I am a part of is Theta Phi Alpha, which is a part of the Greek Life on Pitt main campus.

Professionally, I have had a wide range of jobs and experience. I first worked at Best Buy during COVID. Working at Best Buy during the pandemic taught me how to manage high stress situations while still having to work. I also learned warehouse knowledge and the ability to complete shipments and orders. After Best Buy, I then worked at a local Pizza Shop, while this was just a summer job I did learn a lot when dealing with fast-paced environments. I learned to properly handle money, which previously I struggled with. The final experience I have was working remotely at a remodeling job. With this job I learned a lot about dealing with customers in incredibly high stress situations. With all of my previous job experiences, I have learned how to deal with situations that I would consider difficult. I hope that the knowledge I have gained can be applied to my internship.

Why this Program?

I have chosen to participate in the International Internship Program: Stockholm. I chose this because of its unique emphasis on interning while abroad that is also 8 weeks in duration. To me this program was a better fit due to the length and emphasis on the internship rather than a class. A friend of mine did Pitt in London last year, which is a class and 6 weeks. Her experience inspired me to look into the study abroad programs here. The IIP program would satisfy my capstone requirements, which is largely why I chose this program. I chose Stockholm as my location for many different reasons. Stockholm is a great city to intern in for a sustainability based career path. Sweden as a country is known for the sustainable mind and business practices. To me choosing Stockholm over other locations was the best and would allow me to gain the most out of this experience.

Goals

Personally: I have never left the country before and I want to experience new cultures. Whether that be socially or a new work culture, I want to experience something new. I also want to learn how to navigate new environments and the ability to adapt in wildly different atmospheres. I have never had this opportunity to travel by myself and work. I hope to make the most of this experience. I hope that I am able to make connections and friends with those also in the program from Pitt, but outside of Pitt as well. Overall, my goal is to fully immerse myself and gain the most out of this experience.

Academically: I hope to learn a lot about sustainability when choosing new products or policies. I hope that from this experience I will gain a better understanding of my major and how I can apply what I know. I largely want to see what I know from my major and how much I can apply to the job. I also want to learn the areas in which I need to grow so I can pursue appropriate classes back at Pitt.

Professionally: There are many goals I wish to achieve. I have never had a job that was sustainability focused and I want to learn how a sustainable job operates. I want to gain a better understanding of how a company makes decisions with a sustainability focus. My most important goal is that I want to learn how my host company operates and implement it in whatever job I have in the future. I hope that from this internship I will learn new sustainable business practices and what it means to be and operate as a sustainable company. I hope that I also am able to make professional connections with those who I work with as well as outside of the company.