Hi everyone. My name is Alex Mueller, and I am a rising junior here at the University of Pittsburgh majoring in Finance with a minor in Computer Science. I am from Cecil, PA, which is 30 minutes southwest of Pittsburgh, but is more often 45 minutes when accounting for traffic. On campus, I am a member of Phi Beta Lambda, a professional business organization, the Pitt Computer Science Club, and the Pitt Outdoors Club which is an organization that gives Pitt students the opportunity to go on hiking and camping trips throughout the semester. Outside of academics, however, I like to spend my free time golfing, attending Pittsburgh Pirates games, camping, and traveling when I have the chance.

I am excited to be traveling to Stockholm, Sweden to spend eight weeks participating in the International Internship Program (IIP) through the University of Pittsburgh. Through this program, students have the opportunity to gain professional experience while earning academic credit and immersing themselves in a new culture. This program was enticing to me personally as I have been looking forward to moving from Pittsburgh to gain confidence by growing through challenging, unique, and potentially uncomfortable experiences. Being from the Pittsburgh area, there are benefits from attending the University of Pittsburgh such as being familiar with the area. However, a change of scenery and a larger sense of independence that can be offered through this program seemed like too great of an opportunity to pass up.

Initially, I was drawn to Stockholm due to two previous trips to Norway several years ago. While Sweden does have its differences in comparison to Norway, I am thrilled to be traveling back to Scandinavia. After following up with further research, I learned that Stockholm is the second largest hub for tech startups following Silicon Valley here in the United States. While I’m still narrowing down career choices following graduation two years from now, I was still curious to see how I could apply parts of my computer science background while diving into more finance-related roles. This ultimately led me to interning for MyTelescope as a Finance and Data Intern this summer.

MyTelescope is an AI marketing tech startup based in Stockholm. Their mission is to create a multi-faceted artificial intelligence tool that can give brands unique marketing insights used inside larger Large Language Models (LLMs) like Claude and ChatGPT. Artificial Intelligence has become the next big thing that many companies are focusing on investing in and improving upon. Throughout the course of this internship, I’m curious to learn the perspective of Stockholm startups surrounding artificial intelligence and if it differs from here in the United States. I am equally as curious to see if the economic or financial system in Sweden is reacting differently than here in the United States, especially considering they have unique regulations. I am looking forward to learning more about how some of these AI models make predictions, and how well they are able to apply knowledge as opposed to being a more sophisticated language predictor. While this technology isn’t necessarily new and it comes with some hesitation, I’m eager to use this experience as an opportunity to get an inside look into the tech industry.

As I mentioned before, I am still narrowing down potential careers within the financial industry. I initially began as a computer science major before switching to finance following my freshman year. I have not had the opportunity to know exactly what I would like to do due to a lack of experience with certain topics, but a career in corporate finance or consulting has stood out the most. I am hoping to use the finance aspect of this internship to decide if this is a path I would like to continue pursuing. I am also certain that I will be able to attain some technical skills that will prove beneficial for me in future roles. I also will gain valuable interpersonal skills by learning to communicate with my team in a professional setting. I have attended professional events like exploratory programs with different firms, coffee chats with professionals already in the field, and site visits through Pitt alumni. However, this internship is my first formal experience working in a professional setting. 

Overall, I can’t wait to arrive in Stockholm and see all of what the city and the country of Sweden has to offer. I’m incredibly excited to begin my internship at MyTelescope, and I hope to be able to make an impact, as well as grow as much as I can.