Finding a place to belong
Starting a first internship in a new country comes with plenty of uncertainties. As an international student spending her first summer in Finland, Poroushat wasn't sure what to expect from working in a Finnish company.
Instead, she quickly felt at home.
"The biggest surprise was how welcome I felt. I never felt like an outsider. Everyone was approachable and always encouraged me to ask questions. That made a huge difference."
Feeling included from day one gave her the confidence to take on complex work and grow in a completely new field.
Trusted with real work
One of Poroushat's priorities when looking for a summer internship was finding a role where trainees contribute to real business challenges, and at this position, that expectation became reality.
"I wanted to work on meaningful tasks, even as a trainee. From the beginning I had ownership of real work, while knowing support was always available whenever I needed it."
Poroushat's ideas were welcomed and taken into account throughout the internship, which made the experience even more rewarding. A visit to UPM Energy’s optimization team in Tampere gave her a concrete look at how her analyses support everyday operations.
"This summer has been an educational and rewarding learning journey, exactly what I was looking for in an internship. It has made me even more excited about my future. It confirmed that I'm on the right path."
Writer: Amanda Eskelinen
