Hi! My name is Cameron Hanley, but everyone calls me Cam, and I am a first-year nursing student at the University of Pittsburgh, where I have been building a strong foundation in sciences and healthcare. I’m originally from a suburb about 30 minutes outside of Pittsburgh, so I’ve grown up relatively close to campus but still feel like I’m experiencing a lot of independence for the first time. Outside of school, I enjoy watching movies, playing video games, and playing beach volleyball whenever I get the chance. After graduation, I hope to become an ICU nurse at UPMC Presbyterian and eventually continue my education through a graduate nursing program to further specialize in critical care.

This summer, I had the opportunity to participate in the Plus3 program in Spain alongside engineering and fellow nursing students. I chose this program because I have always been interested in technology and how it influences different industries, especially healthcare. I am also curious about how healthcare systems and practices differ across cultures from what I am familiar with in the United States. I saw this experience as an opportunity to step outside my comfort zone while learning in a global, real-world setting.

Personally, I want to become more independent and adaptable in unfamiliar environments while learning how to communicate with people from different backgrounds. Academically, I hope to better understand how global systems and innovation influence healthcare and other fields, especially through exposure to international perspectives. Professionally, I believe this experience will help me develop stronger cultural awareness and communication skills that will be essential in my future career as a nurse, particularly when caring for diverse patient populations. I am excited to see how this experience will challenge my perspective and help shape both the nurse and the person I am becoming.