Two Carthage German majors have been awarded scholarships from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) to study in Germany. Karin Wirth, '13, from Springfield, Ill., and Thomas Johnson, '13, from Orland Hills, Ill., have been awarded prestigious DAAD Undergraduate Scholarships to allow them to conduct research in Germany for a semester.

Karin Wirth to study secondary education system in Munich

Miss Wirth will spend spring semester 2012 at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich. A German major with a minor in secondary education, she will examine changes in the secondary education system in Germany, particularly changes taking place in the German state of Bavaria, where Munich is located. She will focus on ways that different types of Bavarian schools prepare students for future jobs and higher education, and the impacts that different types of preparation have on standardized test scores.

Miss Wirth hopes the insights she gains from her investigation will help her in her future teaching career. She also plans to develop her Munich research into her senior thesis in German.

Now completing her second year at Carthage, Miss Wirth began studying German language and culture at Pleasant Plains High School in Pleasant Plains, Ill. Her interests were complimented by traveling to Germany with her family and hosting foreign exchange students from Germany. A recent J-Term study tour in Guatemala sparked an interest in learning Spanish as well. At Carthage, she has been a leader in the Alpha Lambda Delta honorary society and Carthage Christian Athletes. She has served the German program as a German tutor. She is also a member of the Carthage women's cross country and track and field teams, and has been listed on the Carthage College Dean's List and Carthage College Athletic Director's Honor Roll for each of the last three semesters.

Thomas Johnson to study law enforcement and perceived security
in Germany

Mr. Johnson will spend spring semester 2012 studying at the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität in Heidelberg, Germany. A double-major in German and criminal justice, he plans to conduct research on the effects of law enforcement presence on perceived security in German transportation hubs. By making observations at train stations, airports and other transportation centers, and by surveying law enforcement personnel and fellow students, he hopes to better understand the impact of police presence on citizens' perception of their own security. His interest in this subject grows out of German and criminology courses taken at Carthage.

Mr. Johnson, now completing his second year at Carthage, holds a German language scholarship, has served as a Student Government Senator for two years, has tutored his fellow German students, and has been a leader in the Delta Upsilon International Fraternity. Before beginning his studies at Carthage, he studied spent a month as an exchange student living with a family in Nurnberg, Germany. He graduated from Victor J. Andrew High School. He also traveled to Germany as a student for a Carthage J-Term course studying the Holocaust.

About the DAAD scholarships

DAAD Undergraduate Scholarships are awarded by the German Academic Exchange Service and, according to the DAAD, were created to support undergraduate U.S. and Canadian students interested in studying, doing research or completing an internship in Germany. The DAAD hopes "to help these students reach their academic goals while building important and lasting bonds of friendship between our countries and introducing them to the benefits of a German higher education system." DAAD scholars receive a monthly stipend of approximately € 650, plus additional funds to help defray travel and research expenses.

Several recent Carthage students have received DAAD Undergraduate Scholarships: Philip Young, '07; Jean Brody, '11; and Kim Likier, '12. Mr. Young and Miss Brody studied and did their research in Heidelberg, while Miss Likier is currently studying in Berlin.

"We in the Modern Languages Department at Carthage are proud that two German majors have won these prestigious DAAD scholarships, said Richard Sperber, chair of the Modern Language Department and associate professor of German and Spanish at Carthage.

"Both Tom and Karin are excellent students and leaders in the classroom and on campus," said Gregory Baer, associate professor of German in the Modern Language Department. "These students' success in this very competitive process, and the fact that two Carthage students have won in a single year, are indicative of the German program's growth — both in terms of quantity and quality — in recent years. Both Karin Wirth and Tom Johnson have worked hard to design their research projects and prepare their applications while also readying themselves academically for the challenges they will face while studying abroad."

"I am particularly glad that their projects underline the interdisciplinary nature of German Studies, and relate so well to their second majors and minors. Karin and Tom's foundational exposure to the liberal arts at Carthage, coupled with their interests in both German and education and criminology respectively, have strengthened their candidacy for this prestigious national scholarship. I congratulate them both."