Thursday morning, we gave our final presentations at Gteic to Mary, Erin, and Brandon. I think it went relatively well! Our group practiced the night before, and the morning of multiple times to get used to presenting and getting it perfect. The marketing team went first, then the finance team, and then ours (the AI and future of co working spaces team, since it was geared specifically to Gteic).
We got a lot of positive feedback, and I’m very grateful to have had that opportunity. It was nerve-wracking to help a town with their economy and tourism when we have had only 2 weeks in the classroom, but with the help of our peers and all the lovely people we met helped us get a better understanding of what we could do for them.
The biggest aspect for Carrigart is their community, and their people. We incorporated this into our presentation as much as possible, because although we want to help them increase their foot traffic, it’s imperative that they remain true to their heritage, roots, and beliefs. This being said, they said we did a good job maintaining that throughout all of our presentations since it’s so important to them.
After the presentation, we had lunch at Gteic, and wandered around Carrigart for a bit before we got on the bus to Dublin. We got dinner at a hotel on our way there. After reaching the hotel, I didn’t really explore the area much (except for a small grab of pizza). Friday morning, we got ready and left for the airport in the shuttle. My program was completed once we landed in Philadelphia.
This program was truly incredible. Having the opportunity to start my education earlier, getting hands-on work experience, and making connections was amazing. We spent only 2 weeks in Pittsburgh, but every day in class I learnt something new that would have taken three months of a semester, and life skills that would have taken the rest of my life to learn. Not only that, but it allowed to explore different aspects of business I never considered before, and it helped me narrow the field of business I wanted to go into since I already had that experience. This program overall gave me so much perspective for my career, and ways to strengthen my professional portfolio (most importantly, networking!).
Saying goodbye at Philly airport was harder than I thought it would be. I am so incredibly grateful I could have been part of this program and met all of these people. I can’t speak for everyone else but I had a wonderful time. I met people I might have never met before, and made friends I could not have made without this program. It brought all of us together in a unique way with memories that will last a lifetime. I’m relieved that I’ll still be able to see everyone on campus, even if in passing.
Signing off from the Haller summer program of 2025!
