Hallo! I’m Sam and I am pursuing a major in Mechanical Engineering through the Swanson School of Engineering at Pitt. In addition to my major, I am also working towards certificates in Product Realization and Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Design along with minors in Economics and Industrial Engineering. I am from the South Hills of Pittsburgh. When I’m not working on homework, I love being outside and working with my hands. I played soccer and frisbee in High School and spend a large part of my free time at Pitt hiking or biking through Schenley Park. I am also a certified EMT and CPR instructor.

I chose Plus3 Germany for a few different reasons. First off, I took German for 6 years before college so this trip will give me a great chance to practice with the German language. Secondly, Germany lends itself well to satisfying my passions for cars and hiking (What could be better than BMWs, Audis, and Mercedes in the Alps?). Finally, I feel as though Germany Plus3 will provide me with great insight into what direction I want to go with my career. During our time in Germany, we will be visiting many different companies that employ Mechanical Engineers in different capacities; an example of this is the difference in the work that engineers do for BMW and KUKA, a company that builds robots that build other robots. Germany Plus3 will provide me with an excellent opportunity to learn more about engineering while also getting to know myself.