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In 20 words or less, what is the best thing about being part of this department?
The professors and the community.

What is your biggest piece of advice to first years and sophomores about getting connected to this department?
Instead of advice, I have a question: why not? Why not engage with a department that empowers students to go from verb conjugation to reading entire novels in German in just two years? Why not leave college capable of reading Nietzsche, Schiller, Marx, and Goethe in their original language? Why not open the door to endless scholarship, fellowship, and research opportunities post-graduation?

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned at K?
Seeing the genius in others.

What has been your favorite class at K?
I know it’s cheesy, but German 101. I loved the feeling of immersing myself in a language for an hour a day. Moreover, I learned to anticipate making mistakes, rather than dreading it, and seeing blips as necessary parts of language learning.

How have you taken advantage of the open curriculum or experienced breadth in your education?
I came to college as a prospective Political Science major; now, I am neither a Poli Sci major nor minor. Without the open curriculum, I would not have been able to experiment in so many departments, including the German department. I have been able to discover a life-long passion in a language that I had never spoken before. Now, German is not only an engagement, but the focal point of my undergraduate experience.

What is your SIP?
I examine certain rulings from the Bundesverfassungsgericht, or German Constitutional Court, in the 1980s and 90s regarding Turkish Guest workers and their families in Germany. My analysis is based upon theoretical developments of transnational citizenship, transnational rights, the ‘human rights regime’, and state sovereignty.

What are your career aspirations/next steps after K?
To remain curious.

What is a random fun fact about you?
My favorite rapper is Benny the Butcher.