WASHINGTON, PA (Nov. 16, 2017)—For the fourth consecutive year, a Washington & Jefferson College (W&J) student has been selected as the winner of the German American Business Circle of Pittsburgh (GABC/Pittsburgh) annual scholarship award.
Andrew Donatelli ’20, a German and International Studies double major, received the $2,500 scholarship from the organization and will use the award to fund his spring term abroad at the University of Vienna in Austria.
“I was excited to learn I’d been selected,” Andrew said. “The fact that this is the fourth year a student from W&J won the scholarship is a testament to how strong our German program is.”
With Andrew’s achievement, a W&J student has been the GABC/Pittsburgh award winner every year that it has been offered.
“I think this shows the high quality and caliber of students that are attracted to W&J and our German Program,” said Assistant Professor and Chair of W&J’s German program Judith Atzler, Ph.D. “Last year we were recognized as an AATG German Center of Excellence. We expect a lot of our students and in return they foster their language skills, engage with different cultures, make connections and compare it to their own culture.”
Atzler noted that Andrew exemplifies the qualities a recipient of this award should possess.
“Andrew is a hard-working student who is very much interested in anything German. During his Magellan last summer, he researched the chocolate industry in Germany, Switzerland, and Belgium,” she said. “He is a perfect fit because of his academic performance, his current interest to foster both his language skills and cultural understanding, and his future ambitions to continue work with the language and culture after graduating from W&J.”
From his previous Magellan Project to a planned Intersession course in Africa and his spring semester in Vienna, Andrew knows the value of cultural experiences abroad and is grateful that the scholarship is helping him get more exposure to the world. While in Vienna, he plans on visiting many other countries.
“I think it’s so important to take advantage of the travel opportunities available at W&J,” he said. “I think there’s a common misconception among Americans that everyone in the world will assimilate to American culture and the English language, but there are a lot of people who don’t know English. Through study abroad and Magellan, you gain independence…and learn more of that cultural aspect that people don’t have the same culture as us.”
In addition to German, Andrew is taking Russian courses at W&J and plans to study Arabic as well. His goal is to work as a foreign language analyst for the government.
About Washington & Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College, located in Washington, Pa., is a selective liberal arts college founded in 1781. Committed to providing each of its students with the highest-quality undergraduate education available, W&J offers a traditional arts and sciences curriculum emphasizing interdisciplinary study and independent study work. For more information about W&J, visit neln.ngskmc-eis.net, or call 888-W-AND-JAY.
Are you ready to Be A President? Apply to W&J now.
