Hello, my name is Nickolas Veleke, and I am a part of the South Korea Plus 3 Program. I am a freshman engineer in the Swanson School of Engineering. I have declared my major as electrical engineering and am very interested in learning about smart systems in Korea. At Pitt, I am a part of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers club (IEEE) and Chi Alpha Christian Ministry (XA). Additionally, I love playing basketball, playing the drums, and videogames.

I chose Plus 3 South Korea because, as an electrical engineer, I am interested in learning more about electronics, smart systems, and touring electrical companies in South Korea. I enjoy working with microcontrollers, like Arduino and ESP32, and circuit design from the ground up so the opportunity to see how these technologies are developed and applied on a greater scale is exciting to me. I truly believe that this trip will benefit my college experience.

Furthermore, I am interested in Korean food and culture. I have been to Japan once before, and it was my favorite trip of all time, so I am excited to return to Asia again, this time to South Korea. I can’t wait to venture around Seoul, stay in Korean temples, and possibly attend a baseball game. I have always been interested in smart systems, and this trip will help me determine whether that is the specialization I want to pursue. I’m hoping this trip helps me figure out more about what I want to do with my career and gives me a bigger perspective on how tech works on a global level.

I am so excited to leave for South Korea on May 2nd.