During my time in Germany, I lived with a German host family and immersed myself entirely in the language and culture. It was incredible to witness the culmination of my language skills and years of study. I made it a goal to live as a German: this meant speaking the language at all times, trying every kind of food, being an active member of my host family and community, partaking in local activities, and attending shows, concerts, and sporting events. Living with a foreign family allowed me to experience another culture through the eyes of others.

Working with professionals in my desired field was an incredible experience-- The Derek Jarman Lab, run by Bartek and Lily, provided an outlet to produce next-level content that was met with careful and constructive criticism. I felt less like a student and more like a creator, putting out legitimate content and applying both hands-on and theoretical techniques to my projects.

Studying abroad has helped me in my career in ways I would never have expected. Most notably, studying abroad taught me how to interact with people from different backgrounds and cultures. Since graduating from Pitt, I've been working in a position that involves a decent amount of travel and therefore requires me to interact with individuals from all over the world. Being able to share the adventures and experiences gained from studying abroad was likely one of the deciding factors that set me apart from other candidates for my position.

Stepping into a new culture really opened up my perspectives on how others are living and collaborating. Although the language, culture, societal norms, and demographics were significantly different from what I is used to, by the end of trip it was easy to see the overwhelming similarities that we all shared. My time in China has made me consider the impact and importance of engineering and business on the global scale rather than just in the US.