Alumni Spotlight: Sarah Marsteller

History and German Major (2016)

UMD's German Department provides a multifaceted education that gives students the tools, not only to successfully communicate in German, both orally and through writing but also the skills necessary for analyzing and understanding another culture. The classes incorporate language acquisition, literature analysis, discussion of contemporary issues, and constant collaboration with professors. Students are encouraged to apply what they learn in the classroom to the world around them and understand its significance for German-American relations. Because of this interdisciplinary and comprehensive focus, my experience with the German department prepared me for the challenges I have faced as an English Teaching Assistant through the Fulbright Program in Germany; not only did it give me a detailed understanding of the German school system, but it also taught me how to cope with cultural disparities and how to engage in helpful dialogue in order to better understand and appreciate those differences.