Hello, my name is Cassandra Wheeles, and I’m from Lansdale, PA, a town near Philadelphia. I am majoring in Mechanical Engineering and planning to get a certificate in sustainability. At the University of Pittsburgh, I am a part of the Irish Step Dancing club and the Pitt Society of Women Engineers.

Some of my favorite hobbies include reading, working out, and crocheting. I really enjoy classic and historical fiction novels, and my ideal night in is sitting on the couch reading a book with my mom and four cats. I enjoy long-distance running, and one of my goals in life is to qualify and run the Boston Marathon. Crocheting is something I’ve been doing since middle school, and many Christmas and Birthday gifts are hand crocheted or knitted hats, scarves, and plushies.

I chose to go on this Plus3 trip due to the emphasis on sustainability. My dream is to work in a research lab on electric vehicles in order to make them more sustainable and better for the environment. With this trip, I hope to better my understanding of the engineering that goes into more sustainable energies, such as wind turbines and nuclear energy. I am most looking forward to seeing and taking pictures of the tulips in full bloom, as they are my mom’s favorite flower.