After a year in Germany, UND graduate interns with German-American Chamber of Commerce

Document Type

News Article

Publication Date

8-2011

Campus Unit

University of North Dakota

Abstract

Colin Preszler, a 2010 University of North Dakota graduate and Valley City, N.D., native, has returned from a year-long exchange program in Germany and is now a finance intern at the German-American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest in Chicago.

Last April, Preszler was named a recipient of the Congress-Bundestag Fellowship which supports study and professional development in Germany. While in Germany, he participated in the Congress Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals and was an accounting intern for WISAG Facility Service Holding GmbH & Co. KG.

“Colin received a very prestigious German national scholarship,” said Amanda Boyd, assistant professor of German in the Department of Modern & Classical Languages & Literatures. “He was there last year studying the German language and culture, and was in close contact with government representatives who mentored him. It’s always inspirational to see students go abroad and receive recognition for the work they did while on campus.”

The German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest, Inc. is an integral part of the network of German Chambers of Commerce Abroad with 120 offices in 80 countries around the globe. Its mission is to promote and assist in the expansion of bilateral trade and investment between Germany and the United States, especially the Midwest.

While at UND, Preszler graduated with degrees in German and accounting.

“He’s a perfect example of a UND graduate putting both of his majors into action,” Boyd said. “It sets a great example for current and future students. He would not have been eligible for either opportunity without extensive study of German language, history and culture.”

The Congress-Bundestag is a reciprocal scholarship program. U.S. participants go to Germany while German participants come to U.S. colleges and universities. The program was conceived and supported by members of U.S. Congress and its German equivalent, the German Parliament, or Bundestag. The program is financially supported by the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs under the Fulbright Hays Act and by the Bundestag.

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