Hi everyone! My name is Matt Bean and I am a freshman at the University of Pittsburgh majoring in Mechanical Engineering. I am from Springfield Pennsylvania which is about 20 minutes outside of Philadelphia in Delaware County. In my first year at Pitt , I was able to get involved in a ton of clubs like the Club Baseball team and Pitt Dance Marathon which I am really passionate about. I enjoy things like playing and watching sports, staying active, going to the beach, and listening to music. Professionally, I want to focus on human centered design and helping people. I love trying new things which is why I pursued studying abroad this summer!
I am going on the Plus3 Korea trip and it is currently the start of our second day here! After a long journey, we were able to tour the Royal Palace, Blue House, and try some Korea street food which was fantastic! After just our first day in Seoul, I am confident that I am going to grow personally and professionally from this experience. As someone who has not had the opportunity to go abroad much as a kid, this is my first real experience in another country. I believe that gives me the biggest opportunity to grow since I have never experienced a culture that is this different to what I am used to in America before.
The way I expect to grow both personally and professionally comes from the same idea which is expansion of perspective and seeing all angles. From a personal standpoint, it is clear that I am going to be thrown into places that I have never seen before which is going to help shape my image of the world that I did not have before this trip. Even after our first day here, all of the things we have seen have given me the opportunity to appreciate how diverse our world is. We were able to take a tour through the Royal Palace which was a breathtaking experience that I will never forget. Places like this are what I am looking forward to the most due to the sheer size and cultural significance. From a professional stance, it is obvious that Korea is very technologically advanced and Seoul specifically is a very modern city compared to some cities in the US. Being an engineer, is it vital to take note of what Korea does differently than us which will help grow my perspective. This is important for engineers because taking in all angles of a problem will yield the best results and ensure the most safety. Thank you for reading my blog and I am looking forward to all the new things I am going to see and learn on this trip!