Joe is a fourth-year student at Penn State University Park majoring in Industrial Engineering and minoring in German and Engineering Leadership Development. During summer 2024, Joe studied abroad in Switzerland through ENGR 422 Leading International Teams (Embedded).
Continue reading to learn more about Joe's highlights of his time in Switzerland in his own words, why he chose his program, the lessons his took away, how studying abroad was formative to his future, and his advice for students interested in studying abroad!
Joe enjoying some focaccia after hiking to the peak of Monte Bre.
"This program allowed me the chance to work on designing an app and presenting in a team with two (2) students from Switzerland! I grew my confidence in my personal ability to speak the German language by practicing it throughout our travels in Zurich and Lucern. Ultimately, the trip gave me 20 new friends at Penn State in the College of Engineering who will be there to support me and reminisce over the great memories formed during our abroad travels!
This was the last course needed to complete the Engineering Leadership Development (ELD) minor and was the primary reason I initially became interested in the minor! Additionally, Switzerland had always been in my top three (3) list of countries to travel to, and it was my first time visiting Europe. I would love to thank the professor, Meg Handley, who I have served as a TA for before, for recommending the course to me and encouraging me throughout the process of completing the minor!
Take the risk, you'll never know what you're missing out on until you go abroad! I never had flown in a plane before college and was planning to avoid any study abroad, but made the best decision of my life by exploring a new opportunity. The university funding and support from classmates while abroad make for a travel experience you will never have again after college!"