Hello! My name is George Abbato, and I am a first-year student in the Swanson School of Engineering and Honors College at the University of Pittsburgh. My current plan is to major in Electrical Engineering, with minors in Economics and Industrial Engineering.

At Pitt, I am involved in many student organizations and clubs. This includes Student Government Board, where I serve as an Allocations Committee Liaison and help clubs get funding from the activities fee. In addition, I am the incoming fundraising chair for the Institute of Electrical and Electronic (IEEE) chapter at Pitt, and I am a member of Food Recovery Heroes. In my free time, I enjoy exploring new places to eat, working out, playing pickleball, and playing piano.

This May, I will be going to Spain with Plus3. I truly think that this will be a very important experience in determining my future career path, as well as provide me with perspective. I have never left the country before, which is something I think will help provide a new perspective on life, both personally and professionally.

While electrical engineering may seem unrelated, I know a handful of EE students who worked with product development in healthcare. I have always had a strong interest in healthcare, and this trip will explore that in Spain. I believe that these professional visits will help me see if this is a plausible direction for my future career. In addition, I hope to learn more about the differences between Spain and the US in the healthcare sector, as healthcare in the US is a frequently discussed issue. On a separate note, I hope to culturally experience and learn about Spain. I believe that being immersed in a different culture will improve my overall understanding and perspective on life. For all of these reasons, I am very excited for this program!