As the world celebration of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation nears, Lutheran-founded Wittenberg University is squarely in the center as its students immerse themselves in the culture and life of historic Lutherstadt Wittenberg, Germany.

With immeasurable support from the city of Lutherstadt Wittenberg, the university developed the Wittenberg in Wittenberg, Germany, distinctive study-abroad opportunity in 2001, ensuring that it was designed to be academically and financially accessible.  

"Any student can go, and any faculty can go," said Timothy Bennett, professor of German and program facilitator. "This is our heritage, and we realized that everyone needs this sort of crossing-the-border moment."

Both the program and its unique internship component are open to all students with or without prior German experience.

Madeline Imler, a senior marketing and international study major and German minor set to graduate in 2017, is one of many students who have taken advantage of the moment Bennett describes. Last spring she was part of the latest group to embark on the Wittenberg in Wittenberg, Germany program.

"The Witt in Witt program seemed like a perfect fit for me," said Imler from Fort Wayne, Ind."It was actually one of the things that drew me to Wittenberg University because I knew participating in a strong study abroad program in Germany would really add to my college experience and give me the experience I needed for an international career. In high school, I was an exchange student in Germany, so I was already accustomed to the culture, and I knew I would definitely benefit from the program."

As part of the program, Imler's internship was actually with Luther 2017, the government office responsible for planning and promoting the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. 

"The Luther Decade is the 10 years leading up to 2017, and each year has focused on another aspect of the Reformation," she said. "In 2015 the focus was on the artistic and linguistic impacts the Reformation had. There are events going on all over Germany and Europe right now celebrating the Reformation. Luther 2017's job is to bring all of these different events together to promote and communicate what is happening in Germany now through October 31, 2017, when the biggest celebration takes place in Wittenberg. As a Wittenberg student, I found it  incredible to see the global impact the Reformation had and the significance of the city our university is named after."

Setting a foundation for success

Because of Imler's experience studying abroad in Germany, she landed a summer internship with Maple Leaf Farms, one of a few fully integrated primary breeders of duckling worldwide located in the United States, specifically Warsaw, Ind. According to its website, Maple Leaf Farms conducts extensive research and development in genetics, nutrition, duck health and welfare, and environmental improvement of duckling production.

"Maple Leaf contacted me because a family friend sent them my resume, and they saw my previous work experience in Germany, what I was studying and how I could help them. Maple Leaf has a growing international division, and my job is to research the German market to help Maple Leaf decide which areas would be most viable to place their product and how it will be distributed. I am working from the company's headquarters and am traveling to Germany and some of the surrounding countries this summer."

While her summer internship will be a big factor in shaping what path her career takes, Imler believes that these experiences are crucial for every student.

"My goal was to find an internship that would allow me to contribute real work and finish the summer with results," said Imler, who is thinking about pursuing a master's degree in international trade upon graduation. "I did a lot of informational interviews, which helped me know what kind of organization/job type I would fit best in. I also benefited from our C.A.B.L.E. (Communication and Business Leadership Experience) program and the Wittenberg alumni network, which gave me a lot of great insight into careers."

Wittenberg's C.A.B.L.E. program is a professional development opportunity open to communication and business majors and minors. Students learn how to present themselves professionally, network with communication practitioners in a variety of fields, conduct research and present recommendations to those professionals, and ultimately create a smoother transition for themselves into their career after graduating from Wittenberg.

"The Wittenberg faculty has made the biggest impact for me career-wise," Imler added. "I am so thankful to be surrounded by so many professors who have gone above and beyond to not only help me succeed in their class, but also in life. Participating in the Witt in Witt program and the internship I had while I was there helped make my resume stand out. It was an incredible experience all around."

The program also opened big doors for Heidi Rotroff '16, who graduated a few months ago with a double major in international studies and German, and a minor in studio art. She will continue her studies through the United States Teaching Assistantship, which she plans to take advantage of starting in October in Austria.

"I have always been very impressed with Wittenberg's language requirement, as well as how many languages the university offers," Rotroff said. "I'm very proud to be graduating from Wittenberg University with such solid international experience, and the education of all of Wittenberg's wonderful faculty, but particularly the Department of World Languages and Cultures."

Even though she was born in Springfield, Rotroff spent most of her childhood growing up in Schweinfurt, Germany, and speaks both English and German fluently. She had the opportunity to use both languages through the Wittenberg in Wittenberg, Germany program and will do so again when she heads to Austria.

"The application for the United States Teaching Assistantship in Austria was a very lengthy one, and my experiences working at the Concordia Language Villages, and my internship through the Witt in Wittenberg program were a big advantage," Rotroff said. "I'm going to be teaching English at two Gymnasien (high schools) in Krems on the Danube River for a school year. I'm hoping to do translation work on the side, as well as travel as this is meant to be my gap year before I start a master's program in translation and interpretation."

Rotroff credits Wittenberg, and more specifically, her experience within the Department of World Languages and Cultures and the International Office in putting her one step closer to her career goals.  

During her Witt in Wittenberg trip with Bennett and fellow classmates in the spring of 2015, she interned with the office of the Lord Mayor. Her biggest task was serving as a translator during a special recognition weekend of 13 Luther cities.

"A prize, 'Das Unerschrockene Wort,' was being awarded to Mazen Darwish, Syrian human rights activist and lawyer, who was unable to attend because he had been incarcerated at an unknown location inside of Syria since 2012," Rotroff remembers. 

"His wife, Yara Bader, journalist, and his friend Orwa Nyrabia, filmmaker, came in his stead, and it was my task to translate for them during dinners and ceremonies," she added. "That experience was immensely important for me. Not only are Yara and Orwa ridiculously brave individuals, but they are also funny, kind and should not have to be subjected to such an unfair and cruel government. Having that intercultural experience (I was told I'm always welcome in Beirut, where Yara and now her husband, Mazen, freed in August of last year, live) had a huge impact on me. It tied together my language skills and my interest in international politics, and showed me that translating is something I am good at, and enjoy doing."

To learn more about the Wittenberg in Wittenberg program and its success stories, visit the Office of International Education.