Hello! My name is Sascha Sanders, and I am a first year engineering student from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, just 10 minutes outside of Harrisburg. I am currently pursuing a chemical engineering degree with a minor in chemistry and philosophy. Despite being an in-state student, I feel that I am far enough away from home where I have experienced almost too much independence for the very first time. However, my first year of college have been more than I could ask for. I have made so many friends, continued to play the sport I love (soccer), and I have found community in the Korean Student Association (KSA) club where I was granted the role of programming chair for the upcoming 2026-2027 school year.

Prior to travelling to Spain for this year’s plus3 program, I have already visited over 25 different countries including Germany, Korea, Japan, Mexico, etc. That being said, one of the main reasons for my choice of Spain was that it was the only country on the list that I haven’t yet been to. Of course I was also influenced by my interest in seeing how engineering/technology is linked to healthcare, and how engineering practices function outside of the United States. However, getting to visit a brand new country for the first time was most enticing to me.

As I mentioned before, this is my first time visiting Spain, so this trip I am extremely excited to learn about the Basque culture and language (Euskara). I am also very excited to communicate with the locals specifically those attending the University of the Basque Country to see how their day-to-day lives differ from my own. In a professional sense, I hope that this experience will leave me with a more open mind about the world along with a better understanding of both global engineering and healthcare. I am so excited to go on this new adventure! The flight can’t come soon enough!