JYM coordinator travels to Munich to meet students and colleagues
Jackie Smith is the new program coordinator for the Junior Year in Munich Program – the oldest study abroad program in Germany. She recently traveled to Munich to meet her colleagues and to attend the new student orientation. We asked her to report on her travels.
Q: Will you introduce yourself to the readers?
My name is Jackie Smith, and I serve as the program coordinator for the Junior Year in Munich Program. I am still new to the position, having started at the end of January. So far, it has been great working on such an amazing program such as JYM!
Q: Tell us about your trip to Munich! What was your official business there?
I had the opportunity to visit Munich and attend the new student orientation for the first week. I was with a group of 27 students from around the country, nine of whom were Wayne Staters, who were beginning their year-long study abroad program with JYM. It was great to see the center and meet my colleagues in Munich as well.
Q: How many students are studying in Munich right now? What will their year abroad look like?
As mentioned, there are 27 students in all, nine of whom are from Wayne State. They will be attending university at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich for a full academic year. Students will be taking coursework in German, and really expanding their grasp of the German language, culture, and history. We have students coming from a dozen different majors, so not only are they studying German language and literature; they will be taking coursework in business, psychology, economics, political science, engineering, etc.
Q: What was the most exciting thing that happened on your trip?
We were able to take a full day to hike through the marshlands of Murnau near Munich. It was beautiful weather, with the Alps just in the background. Murnau was a scenic little town, with a very interesting background, having been home to Gabriele Münter and Wassily Kandinsky of the Blaue Reiter artistic collective in the early 1900's.
Q: Why should students consider studying abroad while they're in college? Why might they choose Germany, and JYM in particular?
College is the time to grow and take the opportunity to challenge one's self. Studying abroad expands your world, literally. JYM offers such an immersive experience, allowing students to live in Munich for either one semester or a full academic year. The program integrates students' academic, professional, and personal interests, enabling them to take advantage of opportunities to gain real-life experiences in a different culture and language. And we offer tons of scholarships to help make the program accessible to students.
