Hello! My name is Sahana Mallela. I am a freshman in the Swanson School of Engineering. I am majoring in mechanical engineering, and I am also aiming to get a history minor with my time here. I am from Poughquag, NY which is about an hour and a half north of New York City. It is a very small town, but my area is known for the great hiking trails, and the changing colors and apple orchards that flourish during the fall. I am an only child, but I love my family and am an avid fan of golden retrievers. My parents are also in science-centered careers, my mom is a software engineer, and my father is a physicist. Some of my hobbies include playing the violin, watching movies, exploring new places, and playing outside or spending time outside in general. At Pitt, I’m very involved in a professional engineering fraternity called Theta Tau. It has kept me quite busy this semester with various events involving professional development, service and brotherhood, giving me a new community that is caring and full of good people. I am so happy to have made the choice to come to Pitt!
This summer I will be attending the Plus3 program to Augsburg, Germany. I chose to go to Germany is because as I further my career in engineering I would like to see how engineering is approached and used around the world. Germany is a place full of high standards for engineering and rapid development in the area. In addition to learning more about my career path, I have always been interested in other cultures and learning about the history of their country and what is valued in different cultures. As I mentioned before, I am interested in exploring new places, and Germany will most definitely be a totally different place and I will have the opportunity to see sites and gain experiences totally foreign to me.
From this program I hope to learn more about what it means to be a globally aware engineer and how different value systems and cultures influence innovation and what is important to create to them. The automobile industry is full of engineering pathways, and I would love to know how what I learn in school will benefit me in the real world. In addition, I hope to gain a better understanding of how business and engineering fit together. As we will be integrated in groups between the two majors I am sure I will be able to understand they are both necessary in aiding each other. I am looking forward to meeting and becoming good friends with other students. I am lucky to have this experience to travel abroad and I want to get as much as I can out of it whether it be making friends, trying to new foods, learning new languages, understanding new cultures, or learning about the various paths my degree can take me.