I am Mark a rising sophomore at Sid Richerson College. I was born in Seattle but moved to San Fransisco when I was one year old.
Growing up I have always been interested in engineering and in high school I was part of a student engineering group that was designing and building an electric airplane. Through that project, I explored different facets of engineering and learned that mechanical engineering is my favorite. I chose Rice because I wanted a good engineering school but did not want to go to a big state school so there were not that many schools that fit that criteria and out of those options Rice was my favorite.
I chose to study abroad this summer because I thought I would want to study abroad to experience other cultures and meet new people. I knew I definitely wanted to study abroad this year because my brother was studying abroad this year and talking to him made me really excited about it. However, because I am a mechanical engineer, it is challenging to make time to study abroad during the school year so this program was a great way for me to study abroad and get credit for classes in the engineering design minor.
This is my first time in the Netherlands so I am excited to explore Amsterdam and do day trips to other places so I can explore the country more. I am also excited to visit the museums in Amsterdam especially the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. When I go to new cities I like to have a plan of things to see but then in my free time explore with no destination especially if I am walking around after dinner.
It was good meeting the University of Amsterdam students and I hope I can get to know them more in the following days.