Hello! My name is Stella Cisick and I am a rising senior in the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences. I am currently double majoring in Environmental Studies and Political Science with the goal of heading to law school post-graduation. Some general background about me is that I am the youngest of four children and am from a suburb of Philadelphia. I grew up spending my days at lakes and beaches with my family, and my love of the environment has only grown since then. In my pastime I enjoy reading, watching tv and movies, and doing crafts.
When it comes to my future, I hope to combine the knowledge from my two majors to become an environmental lawyer. A large part of my life this past semester has been preparing for my law school applications and the LSAT. I try to spend my time either in clubs or being a TA for Environmental Studies courses. I currently work at Thriftsburgh, the University of Pittsburgh thrift store, and have a summer job on a farm as well. At Thriftsburgh I am able to help reduce clothing waste while increasing accessibility to affordable clothing. I also am able to plan and run different events throughout the school year. My other main position, as a farm worker, is much different. There I help plant, upkeep, and harvest flowers for bouquet making. Through that work I get to see a much different side of sustainability. Each day families come by to either buy arrangements or make their own bouquets housed in recycled jugs. Generally I am interested in all things sustainability and environmental, and I am extremely excited to see how these sectors differ in my chosen international area.
Specifically, I will be heading to Dublin, Ireland in the coming week. I have chosen this program because I have always wanted to go abroad during college, but not during a fall or spring semester. By going in the summer I hope to experience a new place without having to miss time and experiences at Pitt. As I was looking through the different global opportunities, I saw Ireland listed and I immediately knew that this was the program I wanted to apply for. I have always been mesmerized by the cliffs and oceans of Ireland, so the idea of staying and working there for two months felt like a dream. As I went through the application process and researched more about Dublin specifically, I became even more excited. The city looked kind and approachable, while also being filled with so much unique life. I cannot wait to explore all that the city has to offer. Additionally, I was highly enticed by the fact that I could gain real work experience, rather than simply take a class. While other programs with only courses are highly beneficial, I found it difficult to find a program in a location I liked and with classes that were applicable to my areas of study. By having an internship position instead, I was able to cater this program to what could help me become my best self professionally.
In Ireland I have the wonderful opportunity to work at Festina Lente, which is a nonprofit organization focused on increasing accessability to nature for those who might not have access to these spaces. At Festina Lente I will be participating in horticultural, administrative, and event planning work. I am extremely excited for the experience that this internship will provide me. Academically, it will be great exposure to how social, economic, and health disparities affect people’s ability to connect with nature, and the negative effects of this. Through my work I will learn how to mitigate these problems and help different communities be able to feel the positive effects of nature and horticulture. As for my professional development, I am excited for the chance to learn more planning and development skills. I hope to use them in my future career to stay organized and efficiently help as many people as possible. At Festina Lente, I look forward to helping them plan out events for this summer, as well as build next year’s calendar. I hope to both bring new ideas to the team and learn from their experiences. Additionally, I look forward to bettering my communication skills as I interact with different people daily. Personally, I am excited to go outside my comfort zone as I work in a new country and space. I hope that this experience will help grow my love of nature and my understanding of how it helps people.
Overall, I cannot wait to arrive in Dublin and begin this amazing experience!
