*[Editor's note: Derek was one of only approximately 60 undergraduates nationwide to receive a 2009 DAAD Undergraduate Scholarship to study in Germany. He is currently in his first of two semesters at the Universität Konstanz.]

Why do you study German? Studying the German language has always challenged me and I find the study of grammar and morphology fascinating. What’s the best thing you like about our program?  I most appreciate the great professors and the variety of courses available, especially the literature courses. What are your other interests?  I enjoy reading English fiction and non-fiction, North Carolina history, music, photography. What are your aspirations for the future? I plan to graduate with my BA after returning from Germany and attend Graduate School with the intent of pursuing a Doctorate.

I study German because I am in love with the language and the rich culture. The Germans have a wonderful mindset  that eludes most Americans. The best thing about the program is how personal it is.  From the moment you begin your first class,and until you graduate, you are never out of the care of our amazing staff!  My other interests include the dramatic arts as well as choral music. I plan to study abroad at least one summer if not more, and hope to move on with my acting career both in the United States and Europe.

What’s the best thing you like about our program? What I like about the program is how well it is set up. I believe that the program can offer something for everyone who is interested in German. If you are a beginner or even if you are already fluent in the language, the program offers something for everybody. What are your other interests? I enjoy the world of communication, especially video production. I love being a mom, which is taking up most of my time right now. Besides that I love to meet new people and simply enjoy my life as it is right now. Which accomplishments would you like to share in your academic lives or otherwise? One of my greatest accomplishments is that I had the opportunity to produce a documentary. It tells the story of my upbringing in a children’s home and compares my time there to how the home operates today. This project included my going back to Germany to work at the home and giving some of my time back. What are your plans for future? I hope to be able to work in the field of video production once again, possibly in an academic environment. I am also very interested in living and working in Europe for a few years, allowing my daughter to grow up around in different cultures.

Both computers and foreign languages have been interests of mine since I
was very young, and German was the first foreign language with which I
had some success. What’s the best thing you like about our program? The faculty are very supportive.  The professors provide plenty of feedback and encouragement and push their students hard to improve their communication skills.  I might not have studied abroad had I not been given the encouragement I was, which would have been quite a shame. What are your aspirations for future? I plan to graduate in December 2009, after which I would like to attend graduate school, with a possible internship related to computer science as an interlude to my academic career. Will you or did you study abroad through ECU? I spent a year in Konstanz, Germany.  Konstanz is in south-western Germany, right on the southern border; in less than an hour, I could walk from my dwelling in Germany to the next country over, Switzerland.

I study German because I have fallen in love with the language and culture and because German is the best language to study for the field of Chemistry. The best thing about this program is the fact that anyone can study abroad. The tools and the financial support are available both through the school and the UNCEP program. Any students, regardless of their major, can study abroad and obtain that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity so many students miss. My other interests are music (I am in the marching band at ECU) and I am involved with the Campus Crusade for Christ student ministry. I also love to travel and that's one of the main reasons I am in Germany now. While I have not started classes yet, I have already improved my German by tenfold just by living here. My plans are to finish my junior year here in Germany and return to the states for senior year and graduation. I have also decided that I want to come back to Germany for graduate school for Chemistry and to improve my German even more.

I am currently double majoring in German and Business Management with a focus on international business. Why do you study German? I’ve been exposed to German throughout my life. When I was a kid, I spent four years living in Mannheim, Germany and the culture of the German-speaking world has always been a great interest for me. Pairing international business with German also seems like a great idea, considering Germany has the largest economy in Europe and is also a pioneer in renewable energy sources. What’s the best thing you like about our program? The professors in the German program are among the best at ECU. They are all very knowledgeable on various aspects of the German language and culture and are always very friendly and helpful. What are your aspirations for future? I plan to work for a German company, preferably one that is involved with green technology. Did you study abroad through ECU? I am currently one of the first students from ECU to study at the Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg in Mannheim. I’ll be here until the summer of 2010 and so far it’s been an amazing experience. [Editor's note: ECU students with the appropriate training in German can now also apply to study at the Duale Hochschule, where Mark is currently enrolled. As part of their studies, students will complete an internship in Germany with a firm such as Daimler AG, Deutsche Bank, or Siemens. For more information on the program and application process, please contact Dr. Smith at smithdav@ecu.edu.]

I study German because I fell in love with it in middle school, when I took German mostly just to be different because most people took Spanish. The German program at ECU has been amazing ever since I started freshman year. Its size allows each student to get the individual help and attention she or he needs, while also being large enough to provide plenty of variety and diversity. The professors are some of the most caring and helpful professors I have ever worked with, or even heard about from students in other majors.

I am interested in all foreign languages and cultures. I love traveling, but even more I like to stay in a new place long enough to really get to know it and its culture and people.  I also enjoy cooking, dance, and movies (American and foreign, although cooking mostly foreign…mmmm  Käsespätzle..) I have been awarded several German or study abroad-related awards and scholarships, which have been very rewarding and encouraging.  I have also served as the German tutor for several semesters, which has helped me learn how better to teach or explain German to newer learners.

I hope to teach English in Germany on the Fulbright Scholarship next year, then (eventually) return to the U.S. where I plan to begin teaching German on the high school level. Last year I was fortunate enough to study through ECU at the Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg.  The whole experience was amazing, but above all I will never forget the friends I made there, both German as well as international. From them I learned so much more than the language.  Also, traveling around the country and Europe was really fun.

A. J. spent the 2008-2009 academic year at the Universität Freiburg thanks to the University's exchange agreement with Baden-Württemberg (more info here). We had a chance to catch up with him recently about his time abroad. Why did you decide to study German?: "I am fascinated by what many people erroneously consider this "harsh, unromantic" language, but also by the history of the German-speaking world." What do you like best about ECU German? "Of all the programs I could have been a part of on campus, the German professors promote their love for the language and culture and accentuate their desire for their students to learn and succeed not just in German but also in their entire educational endeavors." What other interests do you have? "Debating current/historical affairs. Traveling. Learning other cultures and finding my place in my own culture. Facebook (who doesn't?)" Of what are you most proud? "Having the desire and ability to go into the world, i.e. my study abroad year in Germany. I was well equipped with the language and an understanding of culture from my professors at ECU. Preparing yourself mentally is the hardest part, but they'll help with that, too." Would you study abroad again knowing what you know now? "YES! I love waking up every morning and looking outside and just knowing that I am in Germany. At the end of the year I think I'll be ready to come home, if for no other reason than to see my friends and family and to finish college."
Bild: Titisee im Schwarzwald
 

Joel was recently featured as a stand-out Pirate on ECU's website, and for good reason. Operations Commander for ECU's Air Force ROTC detachment, Joel received three scholarships to study in Stuttgart, Germany, this past summer: The Daily Reflector Scholarship, The Judge Gerald Arnold Scholarship, and The Fleming Perry Scholarship. Here she is enjoying a Tagesausflug to Heidelberg. This past October, Joel was selected to escort then Vice-Presidential nominee Joe Biden during his tour of campus. She promises that she told him all about ECU's German program!