Hello! My name is Anthony Watkins, and I am currently finishing my first year at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson school of engineering. I’m from Woodland Hills and last year graduated from Central Catholic High School. In high school, I played in the marching band and decided to continue at Pitt. Going from a small 30-student band to Pitt’s 300 students required a great deal of adjustment, but I was quickly accepted into what is, in my opinion (unbiased), one of the best communities at Pitt. Outside of band and academics, I enjoy going to the gym at the new rec center and going for walks/runs through Oakland.

This year, I had the opportunity to select my major and decided on electrical engineering. I’ve always been intrigued by a large variety of electrical devices, from medical wearables to electric cars and buses. From relatives in the field, I knew that a career in electrical engineering could take me anywhere in the world, so I chose to participate in Pitt’s Plus 3 program to expand my perspective on the engineering world.

I originally chose Plus 3 Netherlands because of its focus on sustainability but became very intrigued by what the Cyprus (now Greece) program offers. I found a lot of overlap between my interests academically and the topics discussed in the program. After taking Pitt’s Intermediate Latin: Verse course in high school, I became fascinated with Mediterranean history, and, with Greece and Cyprus’s centuries of cultural heritage, I believe this program is a great opportunity for more background. Along with this, Electrical engineering has a large focus on energy management, so I expect to learn a lot from this program, as Cyprus and Greece manage much of the surrounding states’ energy as global leaders in ship management. As someone who values collaboration, this program is a great fit, as it involves many multinational companies. I hope that by analyzing their relationships with Cyprus and Greece, I can gain a better understanding of how the global market functions, so I am better equipped to work in any of the diverse industries electrical engineering may lead me to.