Hey, my name is Peter Holt. I am from Forest Hills, PA (about 20 min from Pitt). I am studying Electrical Engineering and potentially going for a math minor as well. I have always loved working with computers and have always been fascinated by electronics and circuits, so electrical engineering seemed like the logical choice. When I was younger, I was really into building computers, and I built them for my family and friends. This ties into my future goals for postgrad, to work on designing computer chips.

Outside of my academic life, I like to work out, play basketball, and get food with my friends. I spend a good amount of time at Pitt’s new rec center either lifting or playing basketball, and I also volunteer to be a practice player for the women’s basketball team here at Pitt. One of my favorite places to go get food with my friends is Mineo’s Pizza in Squirrel Hill. I definitely try to stay as busy as possible, as I hate sitting idly.

I chose this program because I am very passionate about making our daily lives more sustainable. It is too easy to ignore how much waste we create and how much damage we do to our environment, and my goal is to become more conscious of it. As an engineer, sustainability also comes into play with how I go about my work. I have to make sure that the products I help create are sustainable in the long term. I am very excited to learn first hand from some of the experts in the field.

I also chose this program because I love traveling. I have been outside of the country a few times, but I am eagerly anticipating exploring a new country, and experiencing all the culture and food it provides. The Netherlands is a fascinating country and I am very glad to have the opportunity to travel there.