Sarah Virkler
How did your major contribute to preparing you for your current career?
German (and studying a year abroad in Eichstätt) first of all opened me up to learning new languages, Dutch and French. When living in Europe (or at least Belgium), knowing multiple languages has been beneficial to starting and growing in my career. Additionally, German is an extremely useful language in Europe and is a sought out skill by many companies. I used German extensively in my last job and my knowledge of the language was key to obtaining that job and starting down my current career path. Furthermore, the German Business class Dr. Luken offered was indispensable. While it wasn't the most "fun" class compared to some of the others she teaches, this was THE most useful class that I could use in my career when working with Germans.
How did your major influence your worldview?
Learning German and most importantly, studying a year abroad, marked a great turning point in my life. Studying in Germany opened me up to learning about other cultures, beyond Germanic cultures. This enabled me to understand various cultures and individuals at a different level. Furthermore, the German language has taught me how to communicate with people from other cultures, backgrounds and perspectives.
How did your major help you cultivate interests and passions that extend beyond your career to a rewarding personal life?
In my free time, I enjoy travelling throughout Europe visiting new places and seeing friends I have made while studying abroad and since living in Belgium.
Tell us how study abroad fit into your plans, academically and/or professionally.
Once I started as a freshman at Xavier, I knew I wanted to study at least a semester, if not a year, abroad. I was able to do this my junior year and am grateful for this opportunity. The goal was to perfect my German while in Eichstätt and while I will never quite perfect German (it is a technical language after all), since then I am very comfortable and fluent speaking with native speakers and non-native speakers alike. Professionally, studying abroad while at Xavier encouraged me to study my Master's abroad and eventually settle down and find a job in Belgium.
What advice would you give to a student considering a major in German?
If you want to become fluent in German, definitely study abroad (in quaint Eichstätt)! In case you want to work in Europe or for/with European businesses also consider having German as your major, it is very useful to have on your resume. Also, don't be afraid to practice your language as much as possible with others, that's the only way it gets better.