Penn Abroad Ambassador Arielle Breuninger

Program:

• GRIP: Engineering Research in Aachen, Germany

Ask me about...

As someone who hopes to work internationally after college, I found that this program helped set an excellent foundation for what to expect in terms of immersing oneself in a new culture/language during one’s career. I am passionate about studying foreign languages, and so I intensively prioritized improving my German while in Aachen. I can provide unique insight into making the most of adapting to a new language, whether that be through organized classes, individual studying, or passive immersion in the workplace/daily life (all of which I utilized).

Furthermore, this experience motivated me to spend the following summer working abroad (unaffiliated with Penn) in Switzerland, where I similarly conducted research in a multilingual setting. Between my experiences in both countries spanning German and French, I could provide nuanced information on life working in another country (especially for research). I would love to share insights I gained into navigating life in Europe and overall integrating effectively into a new environment when traveling abroad alone for the first time.

My Experience Abroad:

Through the GRIP engineering program in Aachen, I had the opportunity to pursue two of my great interests—bioengineering research and international travel—by working in a lab at the RWTH Aachen University Hospital.

I spent my summer examining the mechanical effects of cells and virus nanoparticles incorporated into hydrogels for 3D bioprinting. Ultimately, these 3D-printed structures serve as scaffolds to design implants for tissue engineering. While I had learned the basic principles used for this analysis in my coursework at Penn, this research project allowed me to visualize the concepts firsthand and apply them in the development of novel technology. As a result, I came to realize that within the broad field of bioengineering and diverse coursework that is part of the bioengineering major, I wanted to focus my current and future studies more specifically on biomaterials and tissue engineering. My lecture-based coursework at Penn and lab-based experience in Aachen complemented each other perfectly, and I hope to rely on these insights as I pursue a career in research and development with biomaterials.

Furthermore, given that the experience was abroad, I was able to hear and learn from new perspectives in the field of tissue engineering. I hope to one day work in an international environment, and this experience provided me with a highly-beneficial introduction to working in Germany (and Europe more generally), a key player in the biotechnology sector.

Other Highlights:

This experience had a variety of incredible highlights, which included the following:

• Weekly German language courses designed specifically for students in this program
• Weekend trips exploring nearby cities, such as Cologne, Bonn, and Düsseldorf. These trips included visits to various historical sights, museums, etc.
• Running the famous Lousberglauf race through the hilly trails in Aachen