Participating in Engineering in London gave me an excellent level of immersion in my study of thermodynamics and circuits. Having the classes in London made it possible for our professors to give us the historical contexts of the topics we were learning and make it clear how they shaped the modern field of engineering.
In our scheduled excursions, I had the opportunity to see an immense span of human invention, including historical nuclear devices such as early x-ray machines. It was fascinating to see how innovations have built on and enabled one another and to tangibly see some of the most advanced engineering projects of the past. Additionally, this added context to my future as an engineer, showing me that I can be part of this incredible human endeavor. My work will not just be limited to what I do, but is instead part of something altogether far grander.
This trip also enabled significant independent exploration. I was able to tour many of the iconic sites and museums of London and greatly enjoyed the rich theatre culture. One specific play that stands out is the biographical musical Marie Curie. Due to Curie’s pivotal work on radioactivity, this was very relevant to my field of nuclear engineering, but it also gave me a unique artistic perspective on engineering ethics and the risks of new technologies.
Beyond London, this trip gave me the opportunity to venture to other parts of Europe. During the trip, I was able to visit Dover and Canterbury in the UK as well as Billund, Denmark. Immediately following the trip, I spent a day in Paris, then went down to southern France to tour ITER, the world’s largest fusion experiment which is currently being built through a massive multi-national effort. As a nuclear engineering major with a strong interest in fusion, this was a phenomenal capstone to an extremely valuable trip.
This trip benefitted me in more ways than I could possibly have predicted, and I am extremely grateful for this opportunity.
