Dobry Den! Currently, I am back in the United States after finishing my 8-week International Internship Program through the College of Business Administration here at the University of Pittsburgh. I have been based in Prague, Czech Republic where I lived in a neighborhood called Vinhorady, my Metro stop was called Náměstí Míru (meaning Peace Square), and I had an internship serving as a Logistic Service Coordinator at PSA BDP.
PSA BDP is a sustainability-focused international company headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with offices in 130 countries on 6 continents working in the Industrial, Consumer Goods, Life Sciences & Healthcare, and Chemical industries. In my role as a Logistic Service Coordinator, I was responsible for the coordination of the end-to-end process handling over five hundred orders.
Each day I became the point person for a Fortune 500 company, an overseer of the warehouse and hauler pre-carriage, and the manager and tracker of the loading and shipping schedule of large vessels carrying hundreds of thousands of dollars of products. Furthermore, I was the export and import compliance expert for customs regulations, the customer service representative for the end consumer, a quick problem-solver when issues arose, a post-delivery data analyst to identify opportunities for improvement for future shipments, and much more. This far-reaching experience allowed me to continue to develop my analytical and problem-solving skills while simultaneously teaching me about the world of sustainable and eco-friendly logistics. One area I strengthened throughout my time at PSA BDP was my attention to detail. These were crucial in ensuring the right product was delivered at the right time, with proper safety protocol, and improving overall customer satisfaction.
The International Internship Program is a program in various countries where you are living in a foreign city, working in an international company, gaining real-world and hands-on experiences through an internship, and in my case, being immersed in a foreign language and different social and business cultures. During my time in Prague, I became acquainted with their top-of-the-line public transit system (Bus, Tram, and Metro!), learned some conversational and formal Czech, and explored the touristy and hidden gems of the Czech Republic.
From a more personal standpoint, I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to have spent the summer in Central Europe as it is where my heritage is from. My ancestors are from Latvia, Poland, and Romania among many other places from more than a century ago. Specifically in Prague, there is a neighborhood called the Old Jewish Quarter, Josefov, which used to house 92,000 Jews prior to World War 2. Many died or fled during the Holocaust, and the Jewish community in Prague estimates that it now has less than 2,000 Jews. Below you can see a Bronze Stumbling Stone, known as Stolpersteine, which honor the victims of the Nazi regime. These are two stones which belonged to Josef Wellemin and Hedvika Welleminova in front of where their house once stood. This husband and wife were taken and eventually murdered on the 22nd of March in 1943 in the concentration camp, Maly Trostenets, in Belarus. This is one example of the over 70,000 stones in 1200 cities that tell the stories of the many victims lives. It is something I am humbled to experience, as a Jew, to go back where thousands of Jews once lived, worked, and had a community prior to the Holocaust.
The University of Pittsburgh’s International Internship Program in Prague, Czech Republic would not have been possible without the support of the program leaders at EUSA and the College of Business Administration’s International Experiences Office. I want to thank the PSA BDP team and specifically, the DuPont team and my manager Dominika, for their mentorship, patience, and acceptance during my time interning with them. Further, I would like to thank the Frederick Honors College and the Nationality Rooms for the scholarship support that made this opportunity possible. Lastly, I would like to thank my family for their endless love and support.
As I move forward into my final year at the University of Pittsburgh, I look back on my experience with gratitude and awe as it truly is a one-of-a-kind experience. I was able to connect further with my Jewish heritage, become immersed into the Czech culture and city around me, and impact the future through my internship of shipping and logistics. On a personal, academic, and professional level, I have grown tremendously through this international work experience in Prague. I am eager to apply the skills and knowledge I have gained from my time abroad to the Pittsburgh community and my future career in sustainable strategy and international business.
Eliana Goodman