Hi everyone!

My name is Owen Bauer and I am entering my junior year, studying Psychology with a Business minor. I am exploring career paths in mental health care, clinical psychology, and organizational behavior. At Pitt, I am very involved in different aspects of student life. For starters, I’m a research assistant in a psychiatry lab, a chair on the FHC Student Council, a volunteer for Food Recovery Heroes, and a singer in the Pitt Men’s Glee Club. Given my wide range of interests (which extend to musical theater, hiking, baking, and game nights), I can’t wait to learn more about the world when I study abroad this fall in Copenhagen, Denmark!

The program I picked, DIS, is run by a Scandinavian organization that offers study abroad trips in Copenhagen and Stockholm, Sweden for students at U.S. universities. There are about 1,500 students who are doing my program in Copenhagen this fall. They come from universities across America and countries across the world. I have enjoyed connecting with people online and seeing everyone’s diverse interests. What stood out about this program was the wide array of classes and the commitment to hands-on learning. I picked Cyberpsychology as my “core course,” which includes a week-long trip throughout Denmark and a week-long trip to Amsterdam on which I’ll meet with locals and learn about mental health and technology through a European lens. I will also take three other classes – Leadership Across Cultures, Social Brain: Neuropsychology of Social Behaviors, and Danish Language & Culture – which include immersive field trips throughout the city. 

In addition to my exciting classes, I was fortunate enough to get my first housing choice: homestay. I will have the amazing opportunity to live with a Danish couple, their dog, and another student in my program. Cultural immersion is very important to me so I couldn’t be more thrilled. Every day, I’ll bike to the train station, ride downtown, have class, hang out and do cubs, and ride back for dinner with my family. I am so excited to get to know my host family and foster meaningful relationships within my neighborhood and with other students. 

Danes care deeply about sustainability and the outdoors, so I imagine myself biking, hiking, and walking all the time. When the weather gets colder, I’ll enjoy hygge, or comfort, in one of the many cafes there. It would be remiss of me not to buy many danishes and other pastries. I hope to do some personal travel with newly made friends as well. I can’t just pick one thing I’m most looking forward to so I chose four: cultural immersion, self-growth, new friendships, and global awareness. I am so grateful to have this incredible opportunity, and I am beyond excited for all the fun and learning opportunities ahead!