Hello! I’m Winaida Flaherty, a freshman engineering major at the University of Pittsburgh. I grew up around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and developed a love for travel from travelling with my family. I’m looking to study Civil Engineering, with a concentration in either transportation or structural engineering, and I’m working to obtain a sustainability certificate. At Pitt, I’ve been the most active in the Engineering Student Council and Chinese Card Games Club. 

At home, I love writing and reading and I’ve been involved in music for most of my life including playing viola and singing in choir. I also enjoy jumping into random craft projects like crocheting, making clay charms, and needle felting. I’ve been involved in a couple of projects and clubs throughout high school, but my favorite was competing in a board game design competition with two of my friends.

I chose the Netherlands Engineering program due to the class’ focus on sustainability and the locations. I gained an interest in sustainability through travel. I’ve travelled a lot with my family and got the opportunity to experience the infrastructure of other countries and how they compare to the US. Noticing some of the improvements, especially in transportation, made me curious about how infrastructure decisions are made and affect people, so I decided to pursue civil engineering. The Netherlands is a country that has an interesting transportation network and I look forward to attending Plus3 and being able to see it myself and discuss sustainability with peers, faculty, and alumni. Additionally, I hope to keep travelling in the future and use what I learn to improve my own environment.