Hi! My name is Josie Lauro and I am a freshman at the University of Pittsburgh studying nursing. I’m from Doylestown, which is in Bucks County PA where I grew up with my two brothers. In my free time I love to bake, run, do any activity outside, and play card/board games. At the University of Pittsburgh I’m involved in a variety of healthcare and social  related clubs. After school, I have hopes of becoming a pediatric nurse practitioner. Since I was in middle school I was always working and interacting with kids. From babysitting, to hanging out with my little cousins and then eventually coaching soccer and flag football in high school. I realized that I love being around them and I find so much joy when I am able to support them or help them learn something new. Becoming a pediatric nurse would give me that ability to help and care for kids but in a much more significant way.

This summer I am getting the opportunity to travel to Spain for the Plus 3 Program with fellow nursing students and engineering students. I chose this program because I am very interested in the overlap between technology and healthcare. I believe that learning about healthcare, specifically in Spain, will give me a different perspective of how healthcare can operate in a different country. And learning about the technology side of it, it will hopefully open my eyes about how different systems work in the health field. I hope to learn about different cultures and overall gain knowledge for my academic and professional careers.