Meet Julia Pfatteicher ’19, one of our newer HC Amherst Contributors and lover of science and art!
Tell me about where are you from:
I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA.
How does the weather at Amherst compare to the weather back home?
Not much different! I hate the heat and I’m in love with snow, so I’m totally in my element here.
Why did you choose to attend Amherst?
I wanted a school that allowed me to explore both sides of my brain and integrate them. As a potential physics major, I didn’t want to be constrained by a defined curriculum that prevented me from taking art and English classes.
What are you interested in both academically and leisurely?
As I said I really love science and art. I think I am a very analytical but creative person and I think that’s why I hope to pursue a career with physics and art. I love that physics, which is considered such a left-brained, analytical subject actually requires tons of ingenuity, while art seems lofty and creative but can be so systematic and precise.
What are you passionate about the most?
Lately I’ve been extraordinarily passionate about Rufus Wainwright. I recommend everyone go listen to him because his music is unlike anything I’ve ever heard.
What are your plans for the rest of your time at Amherst and beyond:
My plan is to be a physics major and possibly go to graduate school for engineering and design. I would love to work for a place like IDEO to create products with aesthetic and efficacy.
If you could make one change to the world, playful or serious, what would it be?
I wish I could rid the world of gender discrimination. It kills me that I still am not perceived the same as men, especially in STEM fields.
What’s something you’ve always wanted to say but never got the chance to say it?
I’ve always wanted to have the opportunity to be Deborah Kerr in An Affair To Remember, looking over the edge of a ship, saying, “Winter must be cold for those with no warm memories. We’ve already missed the spring.”