Hi everyone!! My name is Neha Viswanath, and I am a rising junior at the University of Pittsburgh, majoring in Data Science with a minor in Anthropology. This summer, I will be participating in the International Internship Program in Berlin, Germany, and I am so excited to share this experience over the next eight weeks!
A little bit about me — I grew up in Bangalore, India, which is an extremely multicultural city. Growing up there made me really curious about different cultures and sparked my love for experiencing new places, foods, and perspectives firsthand. Some of my favourite things to do are swimming, watching movies with friends, and trying foods from all around the world. On campus, I am the co-president of Dhamaal, a beginner-friendly South Asian dance club, and I am also an active member of CSC Pitt’s computer science club.
Academically and professionally, I have always been interested in how data can be used to solve real-world problems. As a Data Science student, I have been looking for opportunities where I could gain hands-on industry experience while also continuing to grow personally outside of the classroom. I have always wanted to study abroad because I believe that simply visiting a place on vacation only shows a very small part of a culture. Actually living in a new environment day to day allows you to understand people, lifestyles, and perspectives on a much deeper level.
That is why the International Internship Program felt like the perfect opportunity for me. It combined two things I was already hoping to do this summer: gain professional work experience and experience living abroad. When choosing a country, I wanted to go somewhere I knew very little about and had never travelled to before. After narrowing down a few options, I came across Berlin, Germany, and was immediately drawn to its rich history, diverse and multicultural environment, and innovation-driven mindset. Since I have also never been to Europe before, Berlin felt like the perfect fit.
This summer, I will be working as a Data Science intern at Klim, a sustainable agriculture company that supports farmers and businesses in transitioning to regenerative agriculture practices. I am especially excited to learn how data science and machine learning are applied in a real-world work environment and how those tools can contribute to sustainability and environmental impact.
Through this experience, I hope to grow both professionally and personally. Professionally, I want to strengthen my technical and analytical skills and gain experience working in a real-world data science role that I can apply to future internships and projects. Personally, I hope to become more adaptable and confident while living and working in a completely new environment. I am also excited to learn how to collaborate within diverse and globally oriented teams while building connections and memories that I will never forget.
I am super excited and can’t wait to see what Berlin has in store for me this summer!
