Pitt Global Experiences

Tyler Kenny, Engineering Perspectives of the Renaissance and Sustainability: Florence Summer 2023

Did it… or am I just looking for an excuse to talk about studying abroad? It really did help, although the latter is partially true as well.

It’s been a few months now working as an entry level mechanical engineer. Thinking back on the interview for this position, my experience studying abroad was often the perfect example to the many “tell me about a time when…” questions – everyone’s favorite. Sweet! I got to go on an amazing academic program, and it helped market myself to an employer. What else could I ask for?

Well, I wouldn’t ask for anything else from it really. Studying abroad already offered much more than I anticipated, yet I continue to draw on the skills I developed during the program. Below are two ways that studying abroad is helping me as a full-time mechanical engineer:

1. Working in a Team of New Faces: During my 4-week program, I met nearly 30 peers for the first time. Some were in the same major as me, many were not. We were put into groups for several course projects. This mimicked what being an engineer is like now. When working on a project, your team will often have different areas of expertise that need to come together for a task. When working across functionalities of a company, you will also run into new faces.
   Studying abroad helped me feel comfortable working with new people with different technical backgrounds. When approaching a project like this, confidence and trust are crucial. No longer in a team of only mechanical engineering students, I had to be confident in the work I was putting forth as well as justify my process to gain the trust of the group. This also meant I had to feel comfortable with not knowing how to solve some pieces of the puzzle, thus trusting those with the correct technical background to make those decisions.
   My first project as a mechanical engineer was in a group of people with backgrounds in supply chain, marketing, and quality. I attribute my confidence approaching this task to my time studying in Italy.
2. Confidence in Traveling: My first time in an airport was for my study abroad program. I had no idea what happened at an airport, besides the obvious (plane arrives, plane goes). Luckily, the Swanson School of Engineering has a team of extremely helpful people in the Global Experiences and Engagement office. They were happy to walk me through the process of going through an airport, explained what a carry-on bag was, and more!
   Beyond just that, studying abroad allowed me to live in a new country, culture, language, etc. I was inevitably nervous arriving to Italy. My Italian was not the best, I didn’t know how the transportation worked, I felt like I stood out.  The program was managed by CEA CAPA, who helped me navigate all these challenges. Over those four weeks, I felt confident in my ability to travel to new places. I am extremely grateful to learn how to travel in a supportive environment.
   In two months, I will be traveling alone to North Carolina for work. Had I not studied abroad, I would have been nervous and unprepared. Instead, I am excited for this opportunity. In addition to domestic travel, my company has international locations that I may travel to for future projects. Because of my study abroad experience, I will be confident (and excited) when that time comes. My company, and many others, often have a global presence, so being confident in traveling is a great skill to learn in college.