I’m Stephanie Anderson, a structural engineering student at the University of Pittsburgh. Growing up in San Francisco, California, I am no stranger to towering skyscrapers and long bridges. I love breaking down the fundamentals of these structures and not only how they are built from the ground up but the math and planning behind them. I am apart of Pitt’s ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) chapter where I am a co-captain of the Steel Bridge competition team.

When I am not studying or researching new ways to make our bridges and structures stronger, I am either out collecting vinyl records or crocheting. I also love to cook and bake in my spare time. I am excited to try new foods in the Netherlands because of this and look forward to hopefully taking home some new recipes to try.

I chose the Plus 3 Netherlands program as I have a love for the history of the area and find the architecture around their cities to be stunning. I have always had a love for old architecture and building styles which is incorporated within cities like Amsterdam in their bridges, building, homes, and natural landscapes. In high school, I spent a lot of time studying the Dutch Golden Age and the art movements that came from it so I am very excited to see the pieces I studied in person. I even crocheted a replica of Johannes Vermeer’s Girl With the Pearl Earring when I was a sophomore in high school studying AP European History. While we may not see the Hague, I am excited to see other pieces of his on our trip.

I hope to learn more about Dutch history and how their different artistic and cultural movements influenced architectural styles across history while we are visiting the country. Along with this, I hope to learn more about how engineering projects are carried out overseas and how their building procedures differ from the US. I am excited to network with Pitt alumni and other engineers while overseas as well.