Hey everyone! My name is John Patti, although most people know me as Jack. I am from Elma, New York, a small town about twenty minutes outside of Buffalo. I am currently finishing up my freshman year here at Pitt, where I am majoring in chemical engineering. I am unsure of what I want to do when I graduate yet, although I intend to take advantage of Pitt’s co-op programs to discover where exactly I want to take my career.
In high school, I took as many high-level math and science classes as I could, which is likely what led me to decide to pursue engineering as a major. Outside of schoolwork, I played for the lacrosse and golf teams. I was also a member of my schools TARC (Team America Rocketry Challenge) team, where I helped design and build model rockets to compete with other schools.
One of my favorite activities in the world is traveling. I have been fortunate enough to have traveled to numerous places for leisure, both abroad and within the US. I have never been outside of North/Central America and the Caribbean, but I have visited numerous countries, including Mexico, the Bahamas, St. Maarten, and Costa Rica. Coming from a small town with little diversity, these trips have exposed me to different cultures, languages, and ways of life. Even within the United States, there are significant cultural differences from region to region. Abroad, these differences are even more noticeable. For example, on my trip to St Maarten a few years ago I noticed an interesting trend- we were never brought the check without asking for it first when we ate at restaurants. In fact, meals seemed to take much longer in general- sometimes upwards of two hours! I later discovered that is was custom in many French-speaking countries, where any act that could be perceived as rushing the patrons to finish their meals was considered rude. This was different from my restaurant experience prior to that point, where maximizing sales and profits is the name of the game. Experiences like this are why I love travel- spending just a few days in a different place can teach beyond the ability of any classroom.
Visiting China with Plus 3 is going to be the trip of a lifetime! This is my first time leaving the Americas, and I could not be more excited. This will also be the first time I will be visiting a foreign country as a student, not a tourist. During our trip, we will be visiting Beijing, Shanghai, and Xi’an, some of the most populous cities in China. During our time in these cities, we will be touring numerous historical sites, trying new and different foods, and absorbing all China has to offer. On top of that, we are lucky enough to get an inside look on the Chinese smartphone industry, a booming industry in one of the most industrious nations in the world. This once in a lifetime opportunity will give us insight to how Chinese businesses operate, new technology (hopefully!), and a better idea of Chinese culture as a whole.
Overall, I expect great things during our visit to the great nation of China. I hope to walk away from this trip with a better knowledge of Chinese culture, business, engineering, and historically. I will seize any opportunity to learn as much as possible about the companies we are lucky enough to tour. Last but certainly not least, I hope to make new friends and have an overall enjoyable and fun experience during my time in China.
