Hello! My name is Frank Czura. I am a first year student at the University of Pittsburgh participating in the Plus 3 Germany Program, and I intend to major in mechanical engineering.

I am from the City of Bridges itself (and yes, I do say “dahn-tahn” and “crick”, eat lots of Heinz ketchup, and love to watch the “Stillers” play football). I grew up in the suburbs in a town called Plum Borough, where I graduated high school in June of 2018.

When I’m not doing school work, I enjoy playing the guitar, playing any kind of game outside (especially golf and volleyball), and keeping up with the latest news in the automotive industry.

I was unsure of my career path leading up to the college application process. I have loved cars my whole life, and I always had a passion for figuring out how things work. But I also got some exposure to business and finance in high school, and I really enjoyed it. I ultimately decided to pursue mechanical engineering as an undergraduate because I wanted to be able to be one of those guys who creates the “next big thing”, and there are so many potential career paths in engineering. However, I do intend to get an MBA so that I can pursue my interest in business as I progress in my career.

When I heard about the Plus3 Germany Program, I was super excited. First, the opportunity to learn about the automobile industry in a country like Germany where the industry is unmatched sounded like a dream come true. I was also excited to learn about Germany’s rich history that I had learned about extensively in my high school classes and had grown up hearing about from my German relatives. Furthermore, I intend to participate in a co-op (extended internship) during my time in college, but I still wanted to have an abroad experience during my college career. Plus3 was the perfect option because I could study abroad during my freshman summer without interfering with my expected graduation and any work opportunities I will have next year.

I’m super excited for my time in Germany, and I’m sure it will be a fun and valuable experience in so many ways. See you there!