New Scholarship Aids Students Who Wish to Study Abroad

Twenty percent of LVC students participate in international study, and programs such as the Zerbe Summer Study Abroad scholarship ensure students can explore their passion for language through immersive travel.

As part of a generous gift from the estate of the late Hobson and Grace Zerbe ’30, the Zerbe Scholarship grants students majoring or minoring in a language up to $3,000 toward summer courses abroad.

One of the inaugural Zerbe recipients, Julie Wiker ’18, a German and English double major, had the opportunity to enhance her German this past summer. Wiker attended the Julius Maximilian University as a part of the Würzburg Study Abroad Program through a collaboration with Hillsdale College in Michigan. Along with attending lectures led by Hillsdale’s Dr. Stephen Maumann, an associate professor of German, LVC’s own Dr. Rick Chamberlin, associate professor of German and French, joined Wiker as a lecturer.

“It was actually Dr. Chamberlin who told me about the short-term study experience in Germany and about the Zerbe Scholarship,” Wiker said. “The Zerbe scholarship really allowed me to pursue my passion of the German language.”

While at Würzburg, Wiker and her classmates focused their study on Martin Luther, as it was the 500th anniversary of his posting of the Ninety-Five Theses, along with other aspects of German life and culture. Students were also able to travel to different parts of Germany and throughout Europe.

“One of my favorite things while in Germany was walking the East Side Gallery of the remaining Berlin Wall,” Wiker said. “It was by far the most profound art I have ever seen.”

This was not Wiker’s first time abroad. She did a three-week immersion while in high school. She also plans to repeat the Würzburg program in the summer of 2018 to complete her German degree.

Obtaining funding for summer study abroad is quite unusual and now, thanks to the Zerbe family, a unique option for LVC students to further their language skills.

 

 

Maria Scacchitti ’18, Communications Intern