OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
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"Since graduating from OSU with a BA in German Studies, I have been living near Cologne, Germany and working as a freelance translator. I have mostly been working on the translation of subtitles for TV shows, which can be quite fun. I believe that my program at OSU gave me the linguistic expertise to do the job that I am currently doing. The professors in the German department were very supportive and have reached out to me with opportunities even after graduation."
—Clayton Lemessurier-Watson, German Major, class of 2022
“Although I had lived many years in Germany before beginning my German studies at OSU, the experience of earning my degree in German not only honed my language skills, it also enriched my knowledge and world outlook in many ways. Having earned my degree online has given me great satisfaction in finally achieving a lifetime goal. Furthermore, the support of the OSU faculty was excellent. I now work at a flight instruction school for a major German airline in Germany, where it is necessary for me to communicate in German fluently. Before studying at OSU, I was comfortable with my speaking abilities, but my writing skills were weak. The OSU German Studies program helped me not only obtain an advanced level in my written language ability but also strengthened my speaking skills, which are both necessary for my daily professional communication.”
—Michelle Orr, German Major, class of 2022
"I have been working as an English teaching assistant for various organizations in Europe (Fulbright, TAPIF, USTA) since I finished my first BA in French in 2019. My first university only offered four semesters of German and I wanted to continue with the language so I could study it at the graduate level. OSU's post-bacc German program was exactly what I was looking for. I taught in Austria while doing most of my coursework; living immersed in the language really complemented my studies at OSU and my abilities improved tremendously. After graduation, I'm starting teacher training at the University of the West of England, Bristol for French and German. My eventual goal is to teach languages in an international school somewhere in Europe after getting a masters."
—Cydney Puckett, Post-bacc German Major at OSU Ecampus, class of 2023
“I have loved every minute of my journey to my first Bachelor's Degree. I could not have done it without the extraordinary help and encouragement of the faculty at Oregon State University. I was kept engaged with the diversity of the curriculum. I think my favorite part of my German degree has been the feedback I have received from my professors. It was personalized just for me. That was really refreshing as I had my doubts about online school. I intend to put my language skills to use to help others both in and out of my profession.”
—Tosh Keller, German Major, class of 2023)
“It has been several years since my graduation, and I am currently working in Student Life at the Berlin study away site of an American university. I help with many of the practical and legal aspects of foreign students coming to study abroad in Germany. I need German to communicate with local people and help bridge the communication gap between students and their new city, be it to help make a doctor's appointment or to translate a letter or to practice their German skills. As an English speaker and an American who has spent considerable time in Europe, I understand the challenges of living abroad and have gone through similar experiences, allowing me to contextualize situations and encourage students as I help them navigate their time in Berlin. I myself did a year abroad in Germany when I was an undergrad student through OSU. This helped me immensely with the language and culture and has encouraged me to help facilitate similar experiences for other students.”
—Carolina Kaemingk, German & Political Science Major, Class of 2018, OSU E-campus
“I received my first Bachelors in International Business and had worked several years in Marketing in a German company. After having children, I decided to stop working in order to raise them. When my children started school, I wanted to become involved in their education and became an emergency substitute teacher. I discovered that I loved being around students and decided to return to school for my Masters in Teaching Social Studies. Soon after receiving my Masters, one of the schools in my area needed a teacher for their German classes. (Their German teacher had been bit by a squirrel and decided not to return to work.) While working there, I attempted to acquire my endorsement to teach German. Because I had grown up in Germany, I was able to pass the speaking portion of the test. On the other hand, since I had never formally studied the language, I was not successful in the written portion. So, I hit the books and after a year, I was finally able to pass the test. Afterwards, I was hired as a German teacher in a Portland High School. However, even though I had passed the state test, I received weird looks from people, when they discovered that I hadn’t received a degree in German. This prompted me to make it official and I decided to go back to school for my Bachelors in German. However, it was very difficult working full time and being able to find a school that could accommodate my schedule. I was very excited when I discovered that OSU offered a German program online. With the flexibility of an online program, I was able to work and study. Through the OSU German program, my German has improved and I think it has made me a better teacher. I would truly love it if OSU offered a Graduate online program in German, so I could continue this journey.”
—Barbette Schoening, Post-bacc German Major at OSU Ecampus, class of 2023
“I am currently working as a French teacher. French has been the focus of my career for over 20 years, but German is a language that I have wanted to return to for some time. I am the mother of a young child, and I also work full-time, so most options for formal study of German seemed impossible for me until I found OSU's Ecampus. I have been so thrilled to be able to pursue a university degree in German online. The professors are talented and supportive teachers, and the courses have been rigorous and challenging. The community that Ecampus students develop even while online is also incredible. I've made friends across the country and communicated in German with people across the world while keeping my work and home life stable. Because of my university degree in German from OSU, I will now be teaching German as well as French and bringing a third language option for students to learn at my school. I'm so pleased with my choice to pursue my Bachelor's degree in German from OSU.”
“I work as a substitute librarian in 3 libraries. I was born in Germany, but moved to the United States with my mother when I was 2 years old. I decided to study German in order to pursue my goal of dual German/US citizenship. OSU Ecampus has been such an important part of my learning journey and I am so thankful for my classmates, professors and the flexibility of online learning. I’m much closer to achieving my goal, thanks to my degree in German from OSU!”
—Joanne Gembe, Post-bacc German Major at OSU Ecampus, class of 2023
“Hello! After living and working in Germany for a year I wanted to continue learning German when I returned to the US. I was originally drawn to Oregon State University’s German program because it offers a fully online track that allowed me flexibility as a working adult going back to school. I have really enjoyed my experience as a student in the German program and have seen my knowledge of the language improve and grow. Despite being an online student, I feel as though I have been able to form good connections with my classmates and professors. I am excited to put my German degree to use after I finish my program this June!"
—Hanna Weckel, Post-bacc German Major at OSU Ecampus, class of 2023)
“I am currently a firearms and defense instructor. I plan to use my new language skills to widen my student base while I expand my knowledge, too. Many very popular firearms come out of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland; being able to connect with these manufacturers in their native language will be a huge benefit. Additionally, I instruct in a popular tourist area and see a number of visitors from German-speaking countries. I've already seen how much these visitors can relax -in what can be an intimidating environment- when someone there can walk them through a new experience in their native language. When I began the online German program at OSU I was working as a Close Protection Team Leader for the US Ambassador in Kabul, Afghanistan. The flexibility of online schooling has been absolutely invaluable given my dynamic schedule and the advisors and professors in the German program have been an endless help along my journey...”
—Kevin Kee, German Major, class of 2023
“I am currently participating in the Master’s program “Global History”, a collaboration between the Free University Berlin and Humboldt-University of Berlin. I take classes in English and in German, and my knowledge of German has allowed me to make many connections. I studied German at OSU from 2016 to 2021, though I spent one of those years studying in Germany through OSUGO’s exchange program (which I highly recommend taking advantage of!). My classes with the wonderful professors and instructors of the School of Language, Culture, and Society gave me the linguistic foundations necessary to make studying and working abroad possible. Additionally, I got my start learning French during my last year at OSU, and my wife’s family was pleasantly surprised by how well I could communicate after only nine months of learning.”
—Stephen Stoddard, German and History Dual Major, class of 2021
“I am a former active-duty U.S. Army military police officer and currently serve as a U.S. Marine Corps logistics officer. I am a reservist and as a civilian I work as a public affairs specialist for the Department of Veterans Affairs at VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System. OSU’s online German degree provided flexibility for multiple cross country moves and I thoroughly enjoyed the diverse German curriculum from history, culture, literature, and various arts. I plan to connect with local organizations upon returning from an overseas deployment. Languages, intercultural awareness, and communication are not only passions of mine, I believe they’re crucial to any profession, especially the military.”
—Hope Nelson, German Major at OSU Ecampus, class of 2019
