Hi everyone! My name is Mckenna Bowes, and I am currently a third-year student in the Frederick Honors College at Pitt. I am a molecular biology major (on a pre-medicine track), with minors in chemistry, creative writing, and German. I was fortunate enough to spend the month of May in Munich, Germany as part of…
Tag: Germany
Berlin Wrap-Up
I spent this past summer participating in the International Internship Program in Berlin. I chose this program because it allowed me to earn credits while working full time in another country. Before starting this program, I had never had an internship nor been to Europe, so this program was full of firsts. I went in…
My written OMET for this summer
This summer has been a whirlwind of fun, learning, and personal growth for me. My program consisted of taking three classes over the course of five weeks in Munich, Germany: one week spent learning German, two weeks learning about the design of sustainable energy systems, and the last two weeks learning about the potential of…
A letter to July 3rd Sam
Dear Sam, There’s really nothing to worry about in the next five weeks, so live it up. The classes can be tough at times, but it’s nothing you can’t handle. You’re going to learn more about different types of car fuels than you previously thought possible, especially since they teach it in both of the…
My Beautiful Light German Fantasy Life
At this point in my life, I’d be lying if I said I knew where I would be or what I would be doing in five years. After spending 3 weeks in Munich though, I can say that ending up back here is far from off the table. If I were to come back,…
Sick Beats
Before the start of this program, I had plenty of common fears running through my mind. What if I don’t like it here? What if I don’t make friends? What if I get lost and can’t get back to the hotel? The list goes on, but the real largest struggle was something that never…
To My Pre-IIP Self
Oh my, it’s the last week. I can’t believe I’m already saying that. One more week in Berlin and I’m out of Europe for a while. Well, kind of. This weekend I’m taking a short trip to Strasbourg, France which I’m seriously looking forward to, and then I’m returning to Berlin to meet up with…
A Full Time Berliner
I’ve been having such an amazing time in Berlin. I’ve grown to love this city, and it feels more and more like home each day. Whenever I think I’ve run out of new things to try, I discover more fun activities and cool places to explore. Being here has been a nice change from staying…
Late Expectations
My program is a little unique when it comes to summer study terms, as it is five weeks instead of four. Our first week was spent taking a German class, with the next four weeks being dedicated to sustainability courses. I haven’t taken a language course since my junior year of high school, so…
Non-Kebab German Takeaways
One thing that I learned quickly during my first two weeks in Germany is that, in this day and age, speaking very limited German doesn’t pose much of an obstacle to enjoying a trip here if you can speak English well. I’ve been taking German classes since I arrived, and at this point I…