Hi everyone! My name is Erika Cyphert. I am so happy to be sharing my journey to Warsaw, Poland with your class!
I am originally from a small town in Pennsylvania called Grove City. Can you find my town on a map?
I went to college at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Guess what? I graduated two years ago!
Over the past two years, I have been working on my PhD. A PhD is an advanced degree that comes after college or university. A PhD will allow me to teach one day at a university.
I have been studying Biomedical Engineering. This may sound complicated, but I can explain it to you! My focus is on making new and better medical devices. Some of you may have had a relative (parent or grandparent) that has had their knee or hip replaced. These are some of the medical devices that I work to help create!
As part of this work, I will spend nine months Poland this year. Poland is a country in Eastern Europe. Here, I am doing research. Do you know what "research" is?
Growing up, I really enjoyed traveling - and I will enjoy traveling this year, too! I have been studying Polish over the past year, but I still have a lot to learn. I am hoping that by living in Poland, I will be able to improve my language skills. Do you speak more than one language?
Some of my hobbies include playing the piano and running.
