Thursday was officially the last day of the Haller Global Honors Fellowship. I genuinely can’t believe that an entire month went by, just like that. Through this program, I’ve been able to meet so many new people, learn so much about Ireland’s culture, and develop as a person both academically and personally. The people that…

Today marks our 9th day in Ireland! We visited many rural areas and worked a bunch on our project today. Specifically, we visited the Fanad Lighthouse, where we were introduced to the rich history of Irish coastal navigation. Before the invention of LED lights, the use of constantly manned whale oil lamps was prevalent. This…

Somehow there are only four days left in Haller, and I couldn’t be any more surprised. I know I’ve said this before, but it’s almost as if it was just yesterday that we landed in Belfast and met up with Conor. Yet, it couldn’t be more true. We’ve done many things over the last two…

We’ve finally arrived in County Donegal, and this time our stop is where we’re doing our consulting project. If you don’t remember, our team is the Digital Disruption and Innovation team, and I’m responsible for leveraging AI use in businesses in Carrigart! To start with, the town is one of the most beautiful and inclusive…

Today is day three of the Haller program, and we’ve done so much with the little amount of time we’ve been here. Northern Ireland is filled with historical landmarks, and we were able to visit three within the last two days! The first place we visited was Belfast’s Peace Walls, which serve as barriers that…

We’ve finally arrived in Belfast after an honestly pretty refreshing flight! Though the food on the airplane was lacking in some regards, it was still an extremely pleasant experience because of the amenities and rest we were able to get on board. Right when we landed, we were driven to a Youth Center, where we…

Today’s finally the day that we go to Ireland! It’s extremely wild how fast time goes by when you mix rigorous academics, professional development, and (of course) fun together in a program. It felt like just yesterday that we drove to Pittsburgh and settled at Ruskin Hall, and it’s crazy to say that I’m writing inside…

Today, we spoke with two extremely helpful figures in Pittsburgh’s civic anchoring positions. Specifically, the Riverhounds Director of Promotions and Entertainment, Kris Brown, and Director of Business Development in Allegheny County, Elissa DiNello. Both speakers were extremely knowledgeable and helpful with drafting our plans for Carrigart! Kris Brown (not to be confused with pop star…

Today for Haller, we visited the Irish Design Center! This is the beginning of our crash course on both the history and culture of Ireland, and I can’t be more excited about it. Though I can’t say I wasn’t stressed during the program. Last night I binge-ate a LOT of food because I couldn’t stop…