Every student who traveled to Albania has a story...
Six of the 24 students at the Albania Project Center during the Fall of 2016 lend their voices with details of their immersion experience—and every one of them shares a little something, from what they learned to how they've changed or where they hope to go from here. (Jason Bruno, profiled, took many photos featured here, including the one above).
Emma Ryan
Emma Ryan
About Emma Mechanical Engineering
Jacob St. Germain
Jacob St. Germain
About Jacob Management Engineering
Mary Vierling
Mary Vierling
About Mary Aerospace Engineering
Jason Bruno
Jason Bruno
About Jason Chemical Engineering
Sara Larson
Sara Larson
About Sara Biology and Biotechnology
Shamsur Rahman Saikat
Shamsur Rahman Saikat
About Shamsur Mechanical Engineering
In computer science or software engineering it's imperative to work in teams so I appreciate the team aspect and collaboration WPI works into the curriculum and projects.
Cassidy Litch
Mathematical Science and Computer Science
All of our different team perspectives and backgrounds definitely helped us get a bunch of different ideas for how we were going to do things.
Ethan Gouveia
Computer Science and Mathematical Science
Albania was just this reoccurring pattern of things you thought you never would be able to do and that is what the Interactive Qualifying Project has done for me.
Benjamin Morton
Mechanical Engineering
We know that our documentary is not going to change the whole world, but we do hope that we can have an impact with the efforts being made to help the Drin River.
Sydney Brooks
Civil Engineering
It’s fascinating to be in an environment where you are not just working with the professionals, they almost consider you as professionals.
Daniel Corwin
Mechanical Engineering
I’m really drawn to land conservation and this project has intrigued me from the start on protecting the natural state of the world around us.
Daniel Amirault
Biomedical Engineering
Working with people is important in any job and so I think that is a big thing I got out of the experience.
Michael Collins
Civil Engineering
I feel this experience will make me more adventurous in the future to go to places that I wouldn’t think to go. I really want to try out different things.
Basak Soylu
Mechanical Engineering
It makes me feel good that I can actually help somebody because in classes you learn the material but you are not really seeing the impact of it.
Samantha Eaton
Civil Engineering
I’d say you're never fully prepared for how complete and immersive this project experience really is—I don’t think anyone could ever prepare you until you come and do it.
Jeremy Hemingway
Chemical Engineering
This has been a really eye opening experience on how to actually be independent and how to thrive in a situation that you have never been in before.
Elizabeth Towle
Chemical Engineering
The main challenge for me was learning how to teach .. trying to figure out how to communicate something to people that don’t speak English as a first language.
Nathan Beeton
Robotics Engineering
Having to teach a class of high school students is something that I didn't see myself doing but this project forced me to have to leave my comfort zone back in Massachusetts
Benjamin Titus
Electrical & Computer Engineering and Robotics Engineering
Coming here and seeing how motivated the students are and how much they want to learn and advance their own knowledge in robotics ... it's inspiring.
Josephine Leingang
Mechanical Engineering
The people we have met through our project have a passion for entrepreneurship and just learning in general and it’s very inspiring to see that here in this developing city.
Bridget Rinkel
Biomedical Engineering
Unlike traditional study abroad programs, this project allowed me to work in the field with professionals versus simply studying in a different locale or language.
Christopher Cormier
Robotics Engineering and Computer Science
From this experience I hope to bring the skills I learned from conducting interviews and working with my team to the professional world.
James Zheng
Chemical Engineering
I’ve grown up a lot in South American culture since most of my family is from there, so it’s very interesting getting another aspect of culture entirely.
Carlos Chong
Chemical Engineering
WPI student Jacob St. Germain assists Harry Fultz Institute students during a robotics club program lesson
A student team takes a tour at a medicinal and aromatic plant collector facility in the Berat region
Students cross a pedestrian bridge over the Osumi River in Berat while touring the region during a weekend trip
A student team with the project sponsor taking notes after interviewing pharmacies in Tirana, the capital city of Albania
A student team exploring the banks of the Osumi Canyon where white water rafting excursions are run by their project sponsor
A student team meeting at the sponsor’s office, YUNUS Social Business, located in the city of Tirana
WPI student Daniel Amirault playing a song after being invited up by the organist at the Castle Park Restaurant in Berat
Stopping for a rest and water at the Simoni Kafe during a hiking excursion to the Valbona region in northern Albania
A student team meeting with stakeholders in their project sponsor’s booth at the Balkans Joint Conference in Tirana
A weekend visit to Durres, the largest port and second largest city in Albania