Alice Huang

After a semester of study at the University of Mannheim, I think I definitely made the right choice to come to Germany and choose Mannheim. Before I came here, I have always thought of Germans as being very distant, but it turns out I was wrong.

Even until now, I can recall the first day when I arrived at the wrong place to open a bank account. My friends and I googled the place and thought it was a bank branch, but it turned out to be an ATM. Just as I thought I probably can’t open an account before office hour ends, a German lady walked out of the ATM and we asked her for some directions. To our surprise, she offered to drive us there. Also, there is a time when I was lining up at the check-out counter, an old lady told me that with only a few things on my hands, I can actually check out at the information desk to save time. I think Germans are actually really nice, but one has to speak German to understand the information people are conveying to us.

Asides from that, in the University of Mannheim, I met students from around the world. Most of them are so passionate to exchange their culture and share with me lots of historical and political situations from their countries that I feel that I learned more from them than all the textbooks I have read during the past four years. Furthermore, the well-structured courses and professional professors from the university better prepare me for the forever-changing business world. However, my learning and fulfilling life won’t be complete without the assistance of Ekkehard-Stiftung. The scholarship covers most of my living expenses and relieves me of financial burdens. Without this scholarship, I would have to do some part-time jobs to cover my living expenses; therefore, would not have the luxury to enjoy my semester studying, making friends and travelling.

Lastly, I would love to thank Ekkehard-Stiftung for granting me this scholarship. I think the foundation’s purpose to promote peace, to strengthen communication between people from various nations and to prevent history from repeating themselves is what makes this scholarship so different from other scholarships. Moreover, I will always remind myself of the purpose behind the scholarship. If one day, I become successful, I hope I can do something as meaningful as what the Ekkehard-Stiftung is doing. Thank you so much in believing me, and I will do my best for the upcoming semester.