Today was both an engaging and thought-provoking day at the University of Pittsburgh, filled with meaningful conversations, self-discovery, and academic exploration.
After our morning class the Haller team had the privilege of meeting with Kathleen Foody-Malus over lunch in a conference room at Sennott Square. She is an Executive-In-Residence who brought with her more than 30 years of diversified experience in the financial services industry, and her wisdom was evident in every story she shared and every question she answered. It was inspiring to hear firsthand how she navigated the dynamic world of finance, adapted to change, and carved out a successful career in an industry that is both challenging and competitive. Having the opportunity to ask her questions in an informal setting made the experience even more impactful as I left the lunch feeling more motivated and curious about the paths I might pursue in the financial sector.
Following the lunch session, we shifted gears and took the StrengthsFinder assessment, a tool designed to help individuals identify their top strengths and areas of talent. This was a particularly revealing exercise. According to my results, my top five strengths are Achiever, Responsibility, Consistency, Analytical, and Strategic. All of these fall into the broader domains of Executing and Strategic Thinking, which felt like an accurate representation of my personal and academic approach. I found it affirming to see these strengths reflected so clearly. For instance, my “Achiever” trait explains my constant drive to set goals and exceed expectations, while “Responsibility” and “Consistency” speak to my reliability and my commitment to fairness and follow-through. “Analytical” and “Strategic” round out the picture, highlighting how I enjoy problem-solving and creating clear, effective plans of action. Learning about these strengths gave me a renewed sense of clarity about how I can leverage them not only in my studies but also in collaborative environments and future career pursuits.
To put our newly discovered strengths into practice, we participated in a group activity where we were asked to form teams and assign key roles based on each person’s StrengthsFinder results. I was selected as the group leader, largely due to the leadership potential my team saw in my responsibility, consistency, and achiever mindset. This exercise helped us think more intentionally about how to build effective teams by aligning tasks with individuals’ strengths. I enjoyed working cooperatively and appreciated how the StrengthsFinder results added depth to our decision-making process.
The day concluded with an afternoon class led by Dr. Hnatkovich, where we explored the rich and complex history of Ireland. I am particularly captivated by how Ireland’s historical struggles and cultural evolution continue to shape its identity today. All in all, today was a powerful blend of personal growth, academic enrichment, and professional insight. I walked away with a deeper understanding of myself, a greater appreciation for the people I’m learning from, and an eagerness to continue building on the experiences I’ve had so far at the University of Pittsburgh.