Hello everyone, my name is Linus Silbernagel and I am a freshman in the Swanson School of Engineering. I am majoring in computer engineering and I cannot wait to spend two week in South Korea learning about smart systems.

So first a little bit about myself. I was born in Gothenburg, Sweden and moved to the United States at the age of 10. At a young age I would constantly travel, especially to the United States to visit relatives, so early on I learned to appreciate traveling. I travel quite often and every summer I go back to Sweden for about a month. This will be my first time in Asia!

I currently live in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, which is about 40 minutes southwest of Philadelphia. My family consists of my two parents, a younger sister, and a black lab. My sister is currently a sophomore in high school. I love to workout, eat food, and spend time with my family and friends.

I grew up playing soccer and played all the way through high school. I was also on the track and field team for my high school where I competed in hurdles. Additionally in high school I was on the mock trial team, in the Mini-THON club, interact club, and humanitarian club.

I am so happy to be here at University of Pittsburgh. It is a great academic school that is really pushing me to be better but it also has such great opportunities. Being near the city is a lot of fun since it has so much to offer and being in Oakland takes away the craziness of a city while still providing us with all the opportunities. Here at Pitt I am in Engineers Without Borders, Sailbott, and in the Honors College.

In terms of my professional life, I was part of a Youth Leadership Program. This program lasted a whole school year and taught me valuable lessons in the professional world. The program also took us on several site visits to companies that allowed me to see leading industries in my area and allowed me to network with these successful workers. It also taught me how to act and handle myself in a professional matter. I also worked at a restaurant which helped me see the people side of a business and how to interact with customers.

So this summer I am traveling to South Korea for Plus3 and I could not be more excited. I knew instantly when I saw all that was offered that I wanted to go to Korea. In Korea we are learning about smart systems and how Korea has incorporated this advanced technology to improve their society. Smart systems align very well with my major, since I am a computer engineering major. Since this topic is so relevant to my major, I really hope to learn the ways this technology can be implemented by observing the success South Korea has had. Additionally, by going to the several company visits, I can gain a huge insight into what my future career may look. I am also so excited to be able to experience the South Korean culture. I have never been to Asia, so I cannot wait to immerse myself into this completely different culture from what I am used to. I have also heard from so many that the food is delicious so I cannot wait to try some Korean food. Also, I firmly believe that experiencing different cultures is a great way to open your mind and become a global citizen that can be the most effective worker. I am looking forward to learning about the culture and smart systems so I can gain knowledge that will be valuable in my future career.