Alumni Testimonies
Alumni in the Arts
Greg Mascherino: Professional Violinist - Germany
M.A. Violin Performance, University of Massachusetts Amherst '17
B.A. German Studies, Violin Performance '14
"Since moving to Germany I have been playing full-time in several theater and symphony orchestras including the Robert-Schumann Philharmonie, Clara Schumann Philharmoniker, Anhaltische Philharmonie Dessau, Philharmonie Leipzig, Theater Erfurt, Kammerakademie Halle...I also teach and maintain a private studio and teach publicly at the J.S. Bach Musikschule in Leipzig.
German is my everyday language and is my form of communication with all of my colleagues (most of whom only learned Russian in school) and with my students aged 6-35."
Alumni in Business
Mac Edgerly: Customer Success at Morressier - Berlin, Germany
B.A. German Studies, History '13
"Having a foundation in the critical thinking instilled during my studies has definitely been helpful, and learning a second language has definitely helped in becoming a better writer and communicator in English.
I live in Berlin. I moved here about 15 months ago, but without a job or anything. I found a job after I arrived here, and while all my work is handled in English, obviously knowing German was a big plus."
Sarah Cortes: Marketing Content Manager, CIEE - Berlin, Germany
B.A. German Studies, Communication '14
"Im living in Berlin and the influx of immigrants into the city have started to make the job market increasingly competitive, so fluency in both English and German is a must, plus you need to have a good grasp on the culture (I find this to be especially true in marketing positions)...If it weren't for the help of Professor Sullivan I don't think I would have moved to Germany and started a life here."
Ian Dawud: Specialist-Organizational Effectiveness, FedEx Freight
M.Sc. Organisational Psychology, City, University of London '18
B.A. Psychology, Linguistics, German Minor, '15
"German has been useful because it allowed me to obtain a Fulbright scholarship, which undoubtedly contributed to my acceptance to my current university, as well as allowing for personal development and forming connections."
Alumni in Engineering and Tech
Hank Stetter: Process Engineer, Worthington Assembly Incorporated
B.S. Mechanical Engineering, German Minor '15
"The entire industry speaks its own language, even for someone with a tech background, and the fact that I had literally learned a new language made my transition much easier. I owe most of my success in tech to the skills I developed in my non-technical minor."
Kate DeVane Brown: Senior Content Editor, Slang
B.A. German Studies, Linguistics '12
"I am developing a personalized language-learning platform for professional and technical English. I draw on my background in language pedagogy and linguistics and my own language-learning experiences (German, Spanish, and Swedish) every day when making product and curriculum design decisions."
Alumni in Health Sciences
Nicole Tommasi: Clinical Research Coordinator, Brigham and Womens Hospital
B.S. Neuroscience & Biochemistry, German Minor '19
"The ability to speak another language has been tremendously helpful, especially in the sciences and medical field, because you will meet so many patients and medical personnel that are from different backgrounds and who speak different languages. I personally have a patient who speaks German and I will frequently converse with them in the language when they come for their appointment."
Alumni in Law and Government
Erica Johnston: Law and Diplomacy Student, Tufts University
B.A. German Studies, Political Science '15
"I just returned from a year as a Fulbright teaching assistant in Germany. I am in the process of applying to graduate school (International Relations); with a majority of schools requiring proficiency in a second language, majoring in German was a big help."
Alumni in Ph.D. Programs
Ashley Wilcox: English Ph.D. Student in Victorian Studies, Tufts University
M.A. English Literature, Tufts University
B.A. German Studies, B.A. English '14
"Without having studied German, I would have never been able to pursue the topic of my dissertation nor have received a Fulbright scholarship to do research in Germany; for me, my degree in German has been very useful. Upon graduating, I plan to pursue a career in academic or in fellowship advising."
Alumni in Publishing and Translation
Lindsay Weuthen: Copy Editor, Camparound GmbH & Co. KG - Cologne, Germany
M.A. Applied Literature and Cultural Studies, TU Dortmund University '16
B.A. Comparative Literature, German Minor '13
"Professionally, studying German gave me the opportunity to further my education abroad, which provided a different cultural and academic perspective. It also allowed me to teach English as a second language and to work in translation. Personally, studying German has also expanded my horizons and given me the chance to live and work abroad."
