When Brandon Dye received an email inviting UD engineering students to study sustainability in Germany, he had no idea just how much his world was about to expand.
“I kind of realized it would be a bit harder to do an internship right after my freshman year,” said Dye, who wanted an experience after his first year, but wasn’t sure what the right fit would be. “After I read about the program, I was hooked.”
He opted to study in Germany, earning seven credit hours toward his engineering degree while learning outside of class, too. The adventure began immediately upon arrival in Frankfurt. Dye had a sense that things were a little different. In fact, he had several senses.
“It was a lot quieter,” said Dye. “It was like a medium level volume compared to here in the U.S.” And he had to make sense of new scents. “Germany had a distinct smell to it,” said Dye. It wasn’t bad; it was just different, and that was the case across the board.
“I had to get on trains to go practically anywhere, which was a cultural shock,” said Dye, who noted that he only had to ride in a car a couple of times the entire trip. “I didn't know what I was doing at first, and I was stressing out trying to find what train to get on and how it works, but I figured it out kind of quickly.”
But the purpose of this study abroad program was to focus on sustainability in engineering, and one aspect that Dye enjoyed was the hands-on site visits, including a tour and talk by fellow Flyer, Conor Biggs ’19, a project manager at OSYPKA in Rheinfelden, Germany.
“In person you can see first-hand how things are done and how things work,” explained Dye. “It was a good way to experience the differences from the U.S., especially for visual learners, because you are taken around all the facilities with an opportunity to ask questions.”
One of the site visits Dye enjoyed most was to a river cruise company: “There are a lot of different things they have to do to contribute to sustainability,” said Dye. “They need to focus on minimizing pollution entering the river and preserving wildlife in the river and surrounding areas. Even the little things had to be considered for sustainability, like how they could contribute toward the reduction of food waste.” The river cruise operation gave Dye the clearest sense of how all aspects of each project were interconnected, and that hit home for him.
His journey certainly wasn’t only technical. It was also deeply personal. After three weeks, he found himself missing home more than he had expected.
“I was missing American culture and just America itself,” said Dye. “I missed the food. The free water. I missed ice. Free water and ice! They don't have that over there. And they don't have A/C.” He also said that being away from family and his beloved dog was tough, and that took some courage to admit.
By the end of the summer, Dye had gotten to know several fellow Flyers, and he gained a wealth of knowledge from living the experience — about sustainability in engineering, about the world and, perhaps most importantly, about himself.
“Studying abroad was such a great experience. I think it would be for anybody,” said Dye, who appreciated that the program at UD included preparation before the trip as well as opportunities to reflect upon the experience and assess it too. He definitely reached a conclusion that he’s happy to share: “My advice to anyone with the opportunity would be to do it. Just get immersed.”
At UD, the most lasting lessons come from living the experience — not just reading about it. Dye’s journey took him outside of his comfort zone, and opened his eyes to greater understanding of new cultures, connections and ways of working together.