Hello, my name is David Hersick, and I am a freshman Engineer majoring in Materials Science. I’m from Irwin, Pa, which is in the greater Pittsburgh area. The most notable thing about Irwin, Pa, is that it is home to the Big Mac Museum, which is like a regular McDonald except for the fact that there is a giant statue of a Big Mac inside of it. You might be seeing one of the reasons why I signed up for this program.

I’m also a member of the Pitt Fencing club, which is both really fun and helps me stay active and sane. I didn’t have a history in fencing before this year, but it seemed fun so I tried it out. Besides that, I enjoy biking in my free time, something I am looking forward to this summer. I’ve also done Karate for most of my life, but unfortunately I’ve had to put that aside this year due to college. Another reason to look forward to this summer, I guess!

Before I get to enjoy my summer, however, I get to enjoy going to the Netherlands this May thanks to Pitt’s Plus3 program. I chose this program because I’ve always had a mild fascination with other cultures, so getting to experience one for two weeks sounded like a great opportunity to me. It also provides an opportunity to learn more about Engineering from a different prospective, which is something that I am looking forward to. I am slightly nervous, as this will be my first time leaving the country, but that has also been a minor goal of mine, so I can’t really complain. Overall, this program seems like it will be a great opportunity for me, and provides me with something to look forward to while I try to finish this semester.