Hello, my name is Kate Henchir, and I am a freshman in the Swanson School of Engineering, majoring in chemical engineering. Earlier this summer, as a part of the Plus3 Engineering program, I visited Athens, Greece. Outside of the classroom, I am involved in Ballet Club, Ballroom Dance Club, and SWE, and am generally a very creatively driven person. I also love travelling and discovering everything the world has to offer.

When I learned about the Plus3 program during my admitted student day, I immediately knew it was something that I was very interested in doing. Not only do I love travelling, but I also want to gain real-world experience in engineering before beginning to work in the field. As I began my journey at Pitt, I was even further convinced that Plus3 would be a great fit for me. I am interested in how problem-solving is approached in other areas of the world, and how different cultural and economic factors affect the engineering process.

I initially chose Cyprus for this program because of what I learned about myself and my career goals in my first-semester English course. I wrote an essay researching my specific field of engineering, and discovered that I was interested in chemical manufacturing and the supply chain side of chemical engineering, which I felt I would learn the most about in Cyprus. Despite some initial disappointment that I was no longer going to Cyprus, I soon became very excited to go to Greece after our shift in plans. My itinerary for Greece was also filled with intriguing company and cultural visits to look forward to. In terms of academics and professionalism, I was interested to see the differences in priorities within projects, considering the economic and cultural differences between the United States and Greece. I was also interested in what Greece could do differently, specifically because of the geographical location of Athens on the Mediterranean and being between continents. I was also very excited to bond with my peers while immersing in a new culture, trying new foods, and growing professionally.