Bye to Dublin

colleenohb

Jul 26

I have officially completed the Dublin International Internship Program at Pitt.

After months of preparation, and two months of participation, it feels surreal that I have finished my study abroad program. After being away for two months, it's difficult to conceptualize the entire experience; I feel like I can only reflect on it parts at a time.

My internship was with a County Councillor in Dún Laoghaire, a suburb of Dublin, which meant I got an inside look into local politics in the area. I was surprised to find that Dún Laoghaire had multiple construction projects dedicated to providing the residents with active travel through walking and biking routes. I knew going into this internship that Europe placed greater emphasis on walkability within their communities as compared to the United States, but actually seeing the construction plans introduced, with little pushback, was still a bit of a shock. I kept thinking about how in the United States, especially in certain areas, many residents would argue these alternative travel options are a waste of money; in Dún Laoghaire, they were something to celebrate.

Looking back on my experience, something I believe I did right was go places I wanted to even when my friends weren't available. Taking independent day trips allowed me to see almost everything in Dublin and beyond that I wanted to. If I were to advice a student that was about to go abroad, I would tell them not to be discouraged from sightseeing on their own, so long as they are being safe. Of all the lessons I learned on this program, my biggest takeaway was that in the professional world, they aren't always "right" answers, as indicated in my previous blog post. To recap with an example, one day my supervisor asked me was how a constituent's proposal for an affordable housing program was different from the one already in place, and even when we agreed on an answer, we still were not sure it was correct. Even in the time that passed between these two entries, this lesson on the reality of ambiguity in the career world still remains my strongest lesson. However, whereas at the time of writing my second blog post I was uncomfortable with this idea, by the time I completed my internship, I was replacing that uncertainty with confidence in my ability to find the correct answer, even if it couldn't be confirmed by another person. This was the best lesson I could have learned through this program, because it taught me not only the skills I need to be successful professionally, but the mentality I must have to use those skills. I grew immensely as a professional and an individual as a result of my Pitt Abroad program.

I am grateful to the Frederick Honors College and the individuals who allowed me to participate in this program.