Hello! My name is Bronco York, and I’m writing this post just a few days before I leave for Belfast, Northern Ireland! I am a rising senior studying electrical engineering at Pitt, and this June, I am honored and absolutely overjoyed to be participating in the Inter-Professional Studies in Health, Disability, and Rehab program through the Pitt’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences! Through the program, I have the opportunity to learn about healthcare, education policies and services for children with disabilities in Northern Ireland and in a broader global context. During the program, we will learn from healthcare experts and professionals, and I’m especially looking forward to our site visits to different schools and organizations that serve children with disabilities.

Since last year, I have had the opportunity to work on a couple design projects with the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children, which is located right in Oakland and provides education and support services for students of all ages with a wide variety of physical and mental disabilities. As a part of the design process, I was able to talk to different professionals at WPSBC including speech pathologists, physical education teachers, and occupational physical therapists, and even observe a few classes. Each time I left WPSBC, I was amazed by the level of knowledge and dedication that goes into supporting the students and wanted to learn more. Through this program, I hope to expand my knowledge of the field and bring this back to Pitt to design solution that better fit the needs of the students, teachers, caregivers, and other healthcare professionals at WPSBC.

While in Belfast, we’ll be staying at Stranmillis University College and have the opportunity to explore the culture and sites of Northern Ireland. We’ll be heading to Giant’s Causeway, a UNESCO world heritage site (if you haven’t seen it before, you should definitely check it out) and the titanic museum. There’s a lot of pack into the couple weeks that I have in Northern Ireland, and with the work for the program, it’ll definitely take planning to stay on top of everything while still exploring the city and getting to know the culture and people, and my goal is to treat this as a great learning experience and really enjoy my time there! I am so grateful for this wonderful opportunity, and the next time I post here, I will be coming to you directly from Northern Ireland!

Here’s a picture I took of Queen’s College Belfast! Stranmillis University is affiliated with Queen’s College Belfast, and it’s right down the street!