I started at UCLA as an undecided major, bouncing between departments and schools. After some time, I found my home in the German major—but my connection with the ELTS department began much earlier, in the winter of my freshman year, when I took a graduate seminar on a whim. Since then, I’ve experienced so many serendipitous moments of growth and belonging, thanks to the incredibly friendly and supportive classmates, faculty, and staff in ELTS.
Through the department, I took a community engagement course that explored the transatlantic legacy of Jewish Austrian exile and created a meaningful project for our campus community. I traveled to Berlin through the Travel Study Program and came to know a new city—and new friends—better than I ever imagined. Most recently, I had the opportunity to teach a seminar of my own through ELTS—sharing my passion with students from all across campus.
My time in ELTS has helped me connect deeply with a language and culture, build lasting relationships, and prepare for a world that is—and must become—more globalized and diverse. More than anything, it has given me the embodied mindset to think critically and engage across cultures with care and curiosity.
Ziyan was also recently selected as one of only 250 students from across North America, the UK, and Ireland to receive a German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Scholarship. About the experience, Ziyan writes:
I first learned about the DAAD RISE (Research Internships in Science and Engineering) Germany program through an info session hosted by the International Institute. It’s an incredible, fully funded research internship for undergraduates interested in gaining research experience abroad. Each year, students are matched with projects in Germany, where they work closely with Ph.D. student mentors or researchers over the summer. German proficiency isn’t required—English is the working language.
This year, I was lucky to be selected as one of 250 scholarship recipients from a pool of 2,512 applicants from North America, the UK, and Ireland. I applied because of my own experience balancing two fields in my undergraduate studies—Cognitive Science and European Languages and Transcultural Studies (ELTS) with German. That said, you don’t need to know German to apply! I encourage students across science and engineering to consider it, and also ELTS students, since the internship database includes opportunities in digital humanities. Plus, it’s a fantastic way to engage with German language and culture in a hands-on, immersive research setting.
The application process includes submitting a CV, transcript, and up to three motivation letters for your chosen internships. You’ll also need a faculty member to provide a letter of support.