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Curriculum Study Abroad German House Resources People Placement After Macalester
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See what some of our recent graduates are up to:
"I came to Macalester with no intention of majoring in German. Luckily, the talented faculty inspired me to persevere through the mystifying world of grammar, and my interest in German history and literature grew. I spent the spring semester of my junior year in Berlin and Vienna with the Macalester German Study Abroad program, and had such a great experience that I knew I wanted to return to Europe. The year after college, I was a Fulbright teaching assistant in Hildesheim, Germany. I am currently pursuing an M.A. in German and European Studies at Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service. My studies in German at Macalester gave me not just language skills, but the tools to look at the world in a new light." Lindsay Jorgensen ('07), Graduate Student in German, University of Minnesota, writes:
"Although there appears at first glance to be little connection with what I'm doing now—I've started my own company working on carbon emissions-- or my later education, an MS in environmental policy, I have no doubt that the German degree was critical in bringing me to where I'm at today. Already on Mac's German study abroad as an undergraduate, I started down the environmental path, learning about sustainable agricultural practices from a vintner and village mayor outside of Vienna and completing a project on environmental challenges associated with the EU15 to EU25 transition. I also had the opportunity to work as an intern at the Austrian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Water and Environment. After college I was able to land another fantastic internship in Berlin with an environmental think tank called Ecologic, as well as get some funding from DAAD for a research project on German wind energy policies and their potential for deployment in the US. Now that I am in the environmental business sector working on carbon emissions, all of these experiences continue to inform my work.
During my interview for medical school my interviewer actually began speaking to me in German; he was obviously impressed when I easily responded in German. More importantly to me, after that interview I got into medical school. Even now I speak German regularly, as I am paired with a medical student from Germany doing a pediatric rotation in the Minneapolis. Throughout medical school my experience with the German Department at Macalester has given me the upper hand compared to my classmates, as a lot of medical history happened in Germany and Austria. On my study abroad in Vienna, I saw the original endoscope, amazing wax human replicas and original texts from when hand washing was discovered to prevent the spread of disease. Most importantly to me, through my studies with the German Department and the study abroad offered through Macalester, I gained a level of cultural competency that my fellow medical students did not receive in their undergraduate science-based educations. You can learn the science in medical school and pre-med classes, but it is difficult to help your patients if you cannot communicate with them. By communication I mean more than just language. What I learned by studying German at Macalester was how to notice cultural differences and respect them. Interpreting a county’s culture and history and being able to know how it may affect my patients now makes me a better physician. I am surprised by how much my fellow medical students, and my teaching physicians, respect me for my ability to cross cultural barriers and truly communicate with my patients. This ability has opened many doors for me and for my future carrier as a doctor. Emma Case ('07), student at Boston College Law School, writes: 
"I plan to complete a JD at Boston College Law School with a Certificate in Human Rights and International Justice. Since Mac, I've worked in a Congressional office, a bank, and a law firm. I wasn't sure what I wanted to study when I came to Macalester, but after my first German Studies class, I knew I was in the right place. The program is interdisciplinary, and attracts people with varied interests, so every class has at least one philosopher, art historian, political scientist, biologist, poet and student who doesn't know what they are going to do with their lives (that was me). My adviser helped me figure out what I wanted to do and who I wanted to be, even though most of my questions went beyond academics and German Studies. I don't think you can find a more involved or caring department; they push when they need to push (academically) and still find time to bake cakes and write you recommendations for law school (or whatever you eventually figure out you want to do). Take one class and I promise you'll get hooked (on the cake, if nothing else!)." JON ROSENZWEIG ('06), in the Peace Corps in Turkmenistan, writes: "I am in Turkmenistan with the Peace Corps, teaching
English for the next 2 years. I am
not using much German, but study abroad and the German major did inspire me to
join the PC in the first place, and to learn a new language."
Studying German and participating in the study abroad program to Berlin and Vienna definitely instilled a bit of wanderlust in me, making me unwilling to immediately settle geographically or vocationally. After graduating in 2008, I moved to Edinburgh, Scotland, where I worked at Starbucks and had a fantastic time exploring the city and re-learning what it is like to read books for pleasure! This summer I will start a year-long organic farming internship in Indiana, focusing on the intersections between eco-justice and spirituality, where I will grow organic veggies and work with honey bees and alpacas. After that, I hope to move to San Francisco to study baking and pastry arts and perhaps, one day, open a bakery! |
Breanne Goodell ('06): M.A. candidate, Georgetown University's Walsh School of
Foreign Service:
"At Macalester, I was always impressed by the opportunities for
interdisciplinary work I had as a German major. This, along with my experience
as a T.A. in the department and the research I did for my honors thesis, helped
me win a Fulbright grant to spend a year in Berlin as well as six years of
funding to complete my Ph.D. in German Studies at the University of Minnesota.
After completing my degree, I look forward to teaching German language and
literature at a college or university."
Matthew Collins ('04), Chief Executive
Officer of Integrated Ecosystem Market Services, writes:
Kristina Krohn ('03), medical student, University of Minnesota, writes:
Jessie Light ('08), just returned from Edinburgh, Scotland, writes:
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