Servus! My name is Nate Ginck and I am from Camp Hill, Pennsylvania which is just outside of Harrisburg. I am a freshman at the University of Pittsburgh planning on majoring in Computer Engineering with a minor in Applied Statistics. My current professional goal is a career in automation, so I find this combination of engineering and statistics to best prepare me for this line of work. On the Plus3 trip to Germany, I hope to learn about automation in German industry.

This will not be my first time in Germany; in high school I was an exchange student in a town called Moosburg. I attended a Gymnasium for a couple of weeks during my school’s summer recess. Over the course of around a month, I learned a lot about German culture and my speaking skills improved greatly. Since then, I have been waiting for another opportunity to return to Germany.

I chose the Plus3 program to Germany because of its unique focus on industry in Germany. Having already visited Germany as a student, the business perspective of the country is a new insight that I have not yet experienced. This will give me a leg up in my professional career as I will have a developed knowledge on German business and engineering practices. Additionally, I hope to practice my German while I am overseas. Becoming fluent in German is a personal goal of mine, and there is no better way of learning a language than being in a country where it is spoken. Also, the three-credit class component of the trip will propel me further ahead in my academic career.

I am looking forward to working with students at the University of Augsburg and meeting professionals in German industry. There is a lot to look forward to this summer, so I am excited to blog about all my experiences. Bis bald!