For my STEP signature project, I completed an internship with Heritage Cooperative as their grain merchandising intern during 2024 the summer. The main project I worked on during this internship was researching vomitoxin testing systems to determine which system would be beneficial to use companywide to create uniformity for training purposes. I also held many other responsibilities, some of which include assisting the contract specialists with sales and purchase contracts, updating a grain bid sheet and basis sheet daily, and entering settlements and grain grades into the system.

I feel that this internship allowed me to grow immensely, personally and professionally. In the aspect of growing personally, this internship allowed me to have a better understanding of what kind of career I would like to pursue after college. I have always been unsure of exactly what career I would want to explore, so this was a huge help. Additionally, I was able to become more professional and learned how to carry myself in a professional environment versus outside of a professional setting. My perception of a corporate office also changed during my time at Heritage. It was eye opening to see that an office setting is not always “up tight” or extremely strict like some offices may portray. I was welcomed into an office with open arms, and quickly learned that it is okay to have fun at your job every once in a while.

Another big take away for me from this internship is that there is always more to learn and to always ask questions. This internship was a great learning opportunity for me, and I was able to gain so much more knowledge about grain merchandising than I ever thought possible. I was also able to learn a little bit about other departments of the company such as agronomy, ag technology, energy, feed, and retail.

Working in the corporate office played a huge role in my ability to grow personally and professionally. The overall setting of the office and the people I worked with allowed me to become more of a professional. Additionally, I was able to make great connections with my colleagues and my supervisor. These connections allowed me to learn so much more than I thought I would, and I was never afraid to ask questions or ask for help.

I also got the opportunity to meet up with interns from other departments multiple times as well as tour a variety of different facilities company wide. These opportunities allowed me to learn more than just what my specific internship position was able to teach me. Learning more about other departments of the company broadened my horizons to other departments in the agriculture field. I now have a little bit of knowledge in each of the other sectors of agriculture outside of the grain department.

Overall, making new connections with professionals in my field of study is very important and could drastically assist me when searching for a career in my near future. I am now able to perform so many new tasks related to grain merchandising that I did not have the tools to do before this internship. Outside of the knowledge related to grain merchandising that I gained, I also now have a better understanding and can read the culture of a company. This has prepared me for a career and life after college by showing me what kind of company and job would be the best fit for me personally. Overall, I am grateful to be able to take this knowledge and these experiences with me forever.

The main activities I did for my STEP Signature Project were testing and researching how welding effects the steels at Hochschule Osnabrück in Osnabrück, Germany. I grinded, etched, tensile tested, abrasion evaluated and took microstructural pictures of the steels. I also graphed and helped produce English procedures of using the equipment.

Before this project, I assumed that research was a remarkably simple and straightforward process. Through this project I have found that this is not the case. You must do research to figure out how to do the test and collect the correct equipment. I also learned that preparation of the material before the test is the most important thing in the procedure. This has taught me that not only in research but in everything I do I could benefit from this way of doing things as well as to ask for expert advice.

There is a couple of interactions and activities during my STEP Project that led me to this transformation of preparing ahead of time as well as asking for help. Some of them were the requirements to get there and the procedures I had to do to prepare the material. I learned that preparation is especially important key to doing things properly, but I also learned that things happen, and you need to have the strength to go with the flow as well as ask for help.

My first experience of learning this is the requirement before getting to Germany. There were many things I had to prepare before going over. Some of them included setting up housing over there, health insurance, and enrolling in both OSU and Hochschule Osnabrück. The most difficult requirement I had to get was the health insurance. There were many questions about the health insurance that forced me to ask for help from these insurance companies and faculty members. This also helped me learning that things happen, but I will be fine, and I just needed to go with the flow.

My next experience was preparing the material for testing. My lab supervisor asked me though provoking questions on what the best way of testing is something and gave me hints on ways to do the testing. Through learning these procedures, it helps me ask the correct questions to ask as well as learn that nothing goes as fast or simple as we want it. My last experience was with my co-workers. I wish I prepared myself and learned some German before coming. This effected with making valuable connections with some of my co-worker due to the language barrier. Another thing that my co-workers taught me is that I need to make my wants clearly or it could be interpreted incorrectly. This helped me prepare for when I talk to my co-workers and ask my other co-worker to convey what I mean as well as not let things hold me up.

This change is unbelievably valuable in my life. It not only helps me academically and personally, but also professionally. It helps me personally with my relationship and how I interact with others. This helped remember that most things are temporary and enjoy where you are. It helps me academically to understand more the research side of my major as well as helped me have a greater understanding of the material. It also helped me realize that some procedures are tedious but are necessary for getting the desired results, which can be correlated to most things in life. This experience helps me professional by understanding the work of research and to think of produce procedures to only evaluate that specific thing of the material. This also helps me with my future goals of being in a company that is international.

A brief description of my STEP project was doing an internship abroad in Barcelona, Spain. I worked with the program, ISA in Barcelona, and they helped me find an internship based on my skills and interests, as well as helping me find the best housing option for my time there.

In the future, I have plans to go onto law school to become a medical malpractice attorney and this program allowed me to work with a medical malpractice law firm in Barcelona, Spain. My views that changed while completing this STEP project is how the work-life balance is so different here than in the United States. The United States has more of a live to work lifestyle, while in Spain, they have more of a work to live lifestyle. Everything is closed on Sundays to allow them to use it as a rest day and many of them go to the beach on the days off. Working on the weekdays isn’t for too long. If you finish your work, you are free to go and enjoy the rest of the day. That was the best part about working in Spain. The adjustment was not bad at all, especially since I already speak the language here. It was the very relaxed lifestyle they live here, that was very hard to get used to. In the United States, we are so used to a rushed life day to day, while here everything is calmer and not rushed. The average workplace doesn’t even open till 9-9:30 but most employees don’t go in until 10-10:30, while back in the states, it is much earlier.

My trips to different cities in Spain and even out of the country helped me see how the Spaniard culture is different in small details, such as the appreciation for specific Spanish dishes in different cities, but still an appreciation for the cuisine in general. The biggest thing I noticed while in Spain is their dislike for tourists, compared to other countries I have been to as a tourist. Since they live such a calm, relaxed life, the influx of tourists that arrive to Spain every year, especially in the summer, raises their dislike towards them. The vast number of tourists causes overcrowding and rent increase. Their calm lifestyle allowed me to see locals enjoying drinks in the middle of the day or even having a cigarette in the office when talking to coworkers.

This change was valuable to my life because it shows that this kind of lifestyle is the way I would want to live. It’s very good for your mental health, because it gives you time to breathe and live your life. Living a rushed life is stressful and you don’t enjoy it at all. The work-life balance here is the ideal way to live. You still work and do what you need to do, but it isn’t your sole thing in your life. I have shadowed and worked for many lawyers in the United States, who constantly say they work way too many hours which makes it hard when you have a family or want to go on vacation. Working for the lawyers here, who also work hard and big cases, they prioritize self-care and mental health, so that they don’t end up hating their job. Doing this program helped me realize the type of work-life balance I want for myself in the future.

1. My STEP Project was a seven-week internship at Krixi, where I worked as a software engineering intern. My main activities included building apps, writing reports, and analyzing data for project maintenance and further development. I gained significant experience in app development using React Native and other programming languages, as well as valuable insights into long-term problem-solving and solution-building. It was a great experience learning from experienced leaders in my field.

2. I realized how I approached software was different from a conventional approach. A lot of the times the technical perspective required was different from what I possessed, I had to change my approach in order to solve problems. Being in software and learning new languages is not very new to me, as I was used to absorbing programming in a way that was very systematic in class. However, the perspective needed to solve bigger and unconventional problems in my project required creative and out of the box thinking combined with conventional methods. I was able to take a few steps in this direction with the help of my supervisor and peers who helped me develop better methods for approaching solutions.

3. Key experiences during my internship included several meetings with a senior executive, where I engaged in meaningful conversations and built a strong professional relationship. Initially, I struggled to deliver impactful results, but through discussions with my supervisor, I learned that the role of an intern is not just about providing immediate solutions but also about addressing long-term challenges and adding value to the company. This realization prompted me to improve my time management and critical thinking skills.

My goal was to learn, so I made it a point to ask questions whenever I felt stuck, recognizing that seeking help was essential for my growth. I overcame many hurdles by gathering as much information as possible. My supervisor throughout meetings, emphasized that the primary aim of the internship was to develop my problem-solving skills, encouraging me to tackle challenges persistently and tirelessly as much as I could. This advice was really helpful in shaping my approach.

Over the course of the internship, I became more efficient at developing solutions. I learned to navigate obscure resources effectively and was able to refine my ability to track and manage development projects. These experiences collectively transformed my approach to software engineering and problem solving as a whole.

4. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow in this role, as it significantly transformed my approach to programming and software engineering. This experience provided a valuable glimpse into my potential future career and reinforced my commitment to this path. It enhanced my understanding of software development within a professional context, boosting my confidence in my abilities and future plans. This transformation is crucial for my academic and professional growth, as it has equipped me with the skills and mindset I need to navigate the interesting path of software engineering.

1. Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project. Write two or three sentences describing the main activities your STEP Signature Project entailed.  

For my STEP Signature Project I had an internship with the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. As the communications and marketing intern, I worked on various internal and external assignments such as writing monthly columns, website uploads, creating a monthly internal newsletter, and social media- related projects.  

1. What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project? Write one or two paragraphs to describe the change or transformation that took place.  

Working for the Ohio Chamber changed my views about the world in many ways, both professionally and socially. However, the one thing I learned most about myself was how much I enjoyed doing fulfilling work. Because our organization is so heavily involved with politics, I had many opportunities to educate myself and others about the different issues impacting the lives of everyday Ohioans. One of my favorite columns I wrote focused on the importance of childcare accessibility; I found it very fulfilling to write about a topic that was so important to the community and state. This taught me how important it is to always advocate for others, especially when you are in a position to help uplift underrepresented voices.  

1. What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you? Write three or four paragraphs describing the key aspects of your experiences completing your STEP Signature Project that led to this change/transformation.  

There were many aspects of this internship that impacted my development. For one, the events and workshops that I’ve attended and participated in have impacted my growth as an individual and professional tremendously. This year, the Chamber decided we would be putting on more events than we had in previous years. Each of our events touch on themes from The Blueprint for Ohio’s Economic Future, a comprehensive report that focuses on six strategic areas of opportunity to increase Ohio’s competitiveness including Education & Workforce, Sense of Place, Taxes & Costs, Business Friendliness, Innovation & Collaboration, and Infrastructure. Some of these summits included a Women in Business event, State of Business event, and more. These events allowed me to learn about the issues impacting Ohio while engaging with professionals and experts from all over the state. 

Furthermore, the relationships I have built at the Chamber have helped me enhance my understanding of our political climate. Many of my coworkers are at the statehouse every week to help push for different bills and because of this, I’ve gotten to learn so much about advocacy and policies. This has allowed me to have a better understanding on the tremendous opportunity working for the Chamber provides when it comes for advocating for Ohioans and making a difference in our community.  

Finally, I learned how important doing purposeful work is for me. I never imagined I would ever work in politics, but working for the Chamber has opened my eyes to how much I enjoy doing the type of fulfilling work that being involved with politics provides. I find that I am more motivated to do my work when I know it is important, so I have really appreciated having the opportunity to educate myself and others on matters that are impacting everyday people.  

4. Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life? Write one or two paragraphs discussing why this change or development matters and/or relates to your academic, personal, and/or professional goals and future plans.

I have always known I’ve wanted to be an author, and as a creative writer, I know how it is essential to weave different themes and ideas into the message of the story. Working for the Chamber has helped me understand the opportunity that fiction writing provides: the chance to disect real-world problems and share them with readers in a different light. I admire when authors can use their work as a commentary on present day, and after realizing how much I enjoy writing about political matters, this internship has ultimately given me the foundation to implement real-world issues into my work and create stories that will have a stronger impact on my readers.

My STEP Signature Project in Frankfurt, Germany focused on providing consulting services to ECO Group, a conglomerate of companies focused on providing sustainable personal care solutions to all. Within this, we were asked to help ECO Group with their expansion into the U.S. market since there is a ton of opportunity. This entailed conducting research and creating a plan for one company in the portfolio, Ben&Anna, to make the transition into a new market smooth and simple.

In America, there is a ton of value placed on work as it is seen as the centerfold of our lives by many. This is a concept I’ve struggled with because I truly value everything outside of my work life so much and have grown to be extremely thankful for the freedom I have as a student. Being overseas in Germany I witnessed a lack of emphasis on work and more on well-being. People do not live every hour of their lives worrying about the next big thing at work and rather are always lax to the point where it sometimes feels like everyone isn’t even working. I had always heard of people saying in America we live to work but in Europe, they work to live. Overall, I gained a greater appreciation for another way to live life while feeling a greater understanding behind American work culture.

As it pertains to this transformation, I have been a huge people watcher ever since I was younger. The small details I noticed truly emphasized the massive difference in cultures. To start, people normally take their time as for example, people would go grab an hour-long lunch break in the middle of the day to just enjoy themselves. This is extremely abnormal in America as we tend to take 30-minute breaks or just eat while working. While they take this time to eat people will even enjoy alcohol to loosen up and just let the time pass. There is such an emphasis on maximizing your work value, but with work unions as well there is so much job security overseas where it isn’t a huge worry for people.

Adding on to the part about loosening up, when working at the start-up, people weren’t ever stressing heavily about the next big item. Granted there are times when everything picked up, but it never felt like there was an urgent situation at hand that would lead to a huge problem. When I worked in corporate America at a large tech. consulting firm, there was always a sense of urgency to the point where if the work was not done well, it would be awful for my performance along with my team. This leads to people treating everything differently with pushing long days, etc, whereas people in Germany were done at 5 and always go to enjoy something rather than going home to work.

Lastly, when talking to people these differences were recognized again. There were countless people I talked to around Europe sharing how their first thought was never their work. I feel as though I’ve seen and talked to plenty of seasoned workers in America providing context to how late they work, how they are always stressed, and how it doesn’t slow down. The European people I talked to were always comfortable with what they had and didn’t feel as though they needed a ton to live a good life. Because of this, jobs were never daunting to them and they shared there’s no extensive need to climb the corporate ladder. This creates an astronomically different environment in your day-to-day life.

As someone who places a ton of value on having a good enough work-life balance to do the bare minimum, seeing Europeans live so freely reemphasized my want to make sure I sacrifice when I’m younger to be able to spend the proper time where needed. In the U.S. I recognize we will not live as carefree as they do, but there can be steps taken to make sure you can have it all in your life, just at different times. It truly showed me to not shy away from my beliefs and stick to my want to eventually have the flexibility to be as carefree as they are sooner than later.

1. For my STEP signature project, I participated in the “Fisher Global Consulting Corporate, Milan, Italy” program for the month of May. I worked for Safeguard Global which is a IT and HR consulting firm where we assisted in boosting their outreach to clients and applicants for their various vacancies. We also worked on improving their LinkedIn profiles and page overall.
2. During my stay in Milan, Italy, working for Safeguard Global, my understanding of international business and cultural diversity significantly deepened. I was able to immerse myself in the Italian business environment by collaborating with a diverse team that overall broadened my perspective on global business operations. Witnessing firsthand how the Italians approached problem-solving and business negotiations between the company and possible clients challenged my initial assumptions and taught me the value of adaptability and cultural significance.My experience expanded my view of the world as I was also able to live in a new country for extended period of time and work with new people. The decisions I made and advice that my team gave at the end of the project helped me to see the great responsibility that they hold in their market. Overall, my time in Milan was a very good experience that has helped me to understand global business and the important of culture.
3. Several key events, interactions, and activities during my STEP project in Milan led to the transformation in my understanding of international business and cultural diversity. One of the most impactful experiences was the opportunity to work closely with other Ohio State students and new people that are based In Milan with Safeguard Global. Being able to collaborate together from different backgrounds was very eye opening and helped us to come together as we all worked on our project and presentation. This environment was challenging but also very fun as we were able to have lots of lunches together and spend some time out of the office too! 

   Another significant aspect of the trip was the time we were able to spend visiting the city of Milan. It was a very beautiful city that we were able to visit very well after work and on the weekends. Based on recommendations from our company we visited my historic sites, monuments, parks, and restaurants. This brought our overall group of 16 from OSU closely together as we spent a lot of time exploring together. This helped me to see various aspects of the city I would have never seen if it weren’t for my peers with me.

    

   Lastly, I believe the weekend trip that we took to Florence had a great impact on my overall experience. We were fortunate to find a great place to stay which led us to see all of the great culture of the city. Similar to Milan, we visited many museums, monuments, and overlooks. I was able to see the cultural impacts as well as we ventured out into the hills of Tuscany for a very fun vespa tour!

4. This change in my life directly enhanced my academic, personal, and professional goals. It was my dream to study abroad at some point in my college career and this program did a great job of making that come true. I was able to understand the internation business processes of Italy and the cultural diversity that comes with it. I will now be able to continue my learns at Ohio State with new knowledge of business operations from a worldly view. 

   On a more personal level, the project helped me to become more open minded and accepting of new things and adventures. I was able to navigate living in a new country along with my classmates for 3 weeks long which I never imagined would be possible. The memories I made will forever last! Professionally, I will be able to take new skills to the work force that I’ve developed during my stay in Milan. Overall, this program taught me many things and helped me become a more well-rounded business student!

During the Summer of 2024, I took the opportunity to take part in the Fisher Global Consulting Program, and spent nearly a month in Singapore on a consulting project. I worked for Pasture Group, a local pharmaceuticals and medical supplies company. During this time, I worked on a few projects with a team of four other individuals, which allowed me to gain some experience as an intern. The projects included detailing a guide on the different products the company sells, developing a database for the company to establish partnerships with nonprofits and health ministries of other nations, as well as going into the warehouse and providing solutions for processing orders. I also developed a deeper understanding of the industry and how it works, as well as knowledge about the consulting field.

One of the major things I learned about myself is that I thrive a lot more when I am with people that come from different walks of life. Singapore is a melting pot of different cultures and languages. Being around people that are different means being able to appreciate and understand different perspectives, especially in such an environment. I also developed an appreciation for people working in the pharmaceuticals and medical supplies industry. During my time as an intern, I learned of different regulations and policies that products have to go through before being approved and sold in other countries. Prior to that, I did not realize the work and effort it takes for that to happen. One of the values that the Pasture Group had was to put people and community first. This is something that aligned with me personally, and I felt like I was doing just that during my time there.

There were a lot of things that happened during this time that resulted in my transformation. As mentioned before, Singapore is a very diverse country, with people coming from different backgrounds. Even at work, there were a lot of people who were from other countries other than Singapore. Apart from that, I also was with fellow students from Ohio State with whom I got to share this experience. Apart from working at our respective companies, we also spent time with each other and explored the city. One of the most special moments that I still think about was doing a river cruise and looking at the city skyline.

 One of the projects I really enjoyed doing was building a database for the company. As an Information Systems major, this project really aligned with my interests and what I want to do. It allowed me to apply technology to business in order to make things more efficient. The project itself allowed me to apply and improve my technical skills while also narrowing down specific fields I would like to pursue post-graduation.

Another event that will stay with me during this time was doing a weekend trip with my group to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Since we did not work on the weekends, we had the idea of traveling to another country in Southeast Asia. This was another opportunity for me to learn about and appreciate another country, its people and culture. Being in the city reminded me a lot of my own childhood, visiting family overseas. We also did a tour of the Mekong River and its surrounding areas. Getting to learn about the land and the people made me develop a greater appreciation for the things I have in my life, and realize that some people are not as fortunate.

The opportunity to intern in a different country, and the other activities and events that came with it had a profound impact on me. For one, I gained internship experience, which I had been nervous about before. I was not sure what would come out of it or what I wanted to do afterwards. However, it actually allowed me to narrow down my interests and in which direction I wanted to go in post-graduation. I also really enjoy traveling and getting to visit other countries and learning about them, which I was able to do. Not only was I exposed to different cultures, values and perspectives, but I also learned that I would love to work and live abroad one day. It would allow me to continue learning outside the classroom and understand the world around me. Though that time flew by fast, it is also a major highlight of my time as undergraduate student at The Ohio State University.

1. My STEP project was used for the Fisher Global Consulting Program. I went to Sweden with a group of Ohio State students and participated in an project for a company called Scania. My group and I presented to a panel of professionals about how AI can help with service sales.

2. When I went to Sweden for my STEP Signature Project, I didn’t really know what to expect. I have never gone to the nordic countries before and I was a little nervous when I got there. But, once I got there, there was nothing to really worry about. In Sweden, our group was based in Stockholm which is the capital of Sweden. It had some familiarities to American cities but at the same time it was totally different. We got around by train, which made it really easy to go where we wanted to. After I got back, it made me realize there is so much to see in this world. Sometimes we can think America is the center of the world, and most of the time it is. But, I realized that I want to see other things than just America. I want to travel and appreciate other counties and live my life to the fullest.

3. While I was in Sweden, I think I realized a lot of things that I would not have if I were to stay in America. The whole experience really opened my eyes to many different things. From realizing what I want to do in the future for my job to learning that I want to explore this world as much as possible. And I did not know that I would have this feeling when getting back to the United States.

First of all, I think that this STEP Signature Project made me realize that my job will not be as important to me as I thought it would. The work culture in Sweden is a lot different than in the United States. In Sweden, people get in at 9, have an hour lunch break, and go home at 3. And here it’s a strict 9 to 5, and companies expect you to work at home as well. It just is a totally different philosophy than here in America. And that made me realize how much I want to prioritize my job, and it might not be as high as I thought. Don’t get me wrong, a job is very important, but I don’t think it will be as high of a priority as I thought.

While I was in Sweden, we had the chance to explore Stockholm and I really enjoyed it. It is a totally different city than I thought it was going to be. There was a bunch of canals that ran through the city, and it was really beautiful. In this STEP project, I had the chance to travel to Spain for a few days, which I really enjoyed. In Europe, everything is close together so we were bale to travel another country. I enjoyed this a lot, and I felt like I enjoyed Spain a lot more. This made me realize that seeing the world might be a higher priority than I thought.

4. The STEP Signature Project really helped me decide what I want to do professionally and helped my development as a person. While I was over there, I worked for Scania and I really enjoyed the work that I was doing, so this could help me decide what I want to pursue in a career. As far as my development as a person, life experiences are very important to me and this was a big one for me. I never really thought I would be able to do something like this. But STEP helped me achieve this goal of mine. By doing this internship, I feel like I will remember this for the rest of my life, and that was a goal of mine.