Western student wins federal fellowship to study in Germany

Western Washington University senior and Bellingham resident Carla Widman has been selected as one of 75 participants in the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals, a year-long, federally funded fellowship for study and work in Germany.

Widman will leave for an orientation in Washington, D.C., on July 29 and will travel to Germany afterward.

While in Germany, Widman will attend a two-month intensive German language course, study at a German university or professional school for four months, and complete a five-month internship with a company in her career field of Linguistics and German. Participants are placed throughout Germany and have the opportunity to learn about everyday German life from a variety of perspectives.

Widman is double majoring in Linguistics and German, has earned a 3.72 GPA, and is expecting to return to WWU after the fellowship to complete her degree. She is one of three German majors who have won distinguished national scholarships during the 2010-2011 academic year. Widman worked with the late Christine Compston, former director of Western's Fellowships Office, during the application process.

The program is designed primarily for young adults in business, technical, engineering, vocational, and agricultural fields, though candidates in all career fields are encouraged to apply. Participants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents between the ages of 18-24 and have clear career goals and experience in their professional fields. German language ability is not required, but is strongly recommended.

For more information contact Sandra Alfers, WWU associate professor of German, at (360) 650-7427 or sandra.alfers@wwu.edu.