Penn State students travel to Germany through Liberal Arts embedded program

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — More than 100 Penn State students spent their spring breaks traveling the globe through seven College of the Liberal Arts embedded programs, which are Penn State courses taken on campus or online that include a short-term international travel component. The students saw the classroom come to life by visiting historical and cultural sites and interacting with local people. 

Over spring break, students enrolled in GER 003/197 had the opportunity to travel to Munich, Germany, as part of the Experiencing German Language and Culture in Munich embedded program in the College of the Liberal Arts. Carrie Jackson, professor of German and linguistics, and Forrest Finch, assistant teaching professor, led the group of students throughout their visit to Germany.  

This was the first year students enrolled in GER 3 had the opportunity to enroll in GER 197 — the one-credit embedded course. Jackson, who has been teaching at Penn State for 18 years, initially designed the experience for students. 

“I wanted students to have a chance to experience German culture live, in person and to practice the German skills that they have been working on,” Jackson said. “It was fun to figure out what sites to see and what activities to do that would give students a good perspective on Germany.” 

One of the main reasons Jackson and other coordinators chose to visit Munich for this embedded program was because students taking GER 3 have a chapter in their lectures about Munich, Germany.  

“The lectures gave me almost a personal itinerary of places I wanted to see and things I wanted to do while I was there,” Ty Tkacik said. “It also gave me a general historic overview of a city filled with a rich history spanning back hundreds of years."

Ty Tkacik, a second-year student majoring in public relations and double minoring in German and psychology, knew he wanted to enroll in this embedded course after a Liberal Arts faculty member visited his class and gave a brief presentation and overview of the trip.  

“Nobody in my family has ever traveled internationally,” said Tkacik, a Curwensville, Pennsylvania, native. “I wanted to expand my perspective on the world, and I wanted to interact with people who were from a different culture. To be the foreigner for once and gain a new perspective, was important to me.” 

An important landmark the group visited was the Dachau concentration camp, one of the first concentration camps built by Nazi Germany. Matthew Gower, a second-year student from Hudson, New York, majoring in political science with a minor in German, recalled the experience as “incredibly solemn and daunting to see.” However, he was glad he made the trip to the concentration camp due to its historical importance.  

Students had the chance to visit sites such as Allianz Arena, Nymphenburg Palace and Weihenstephan Brewery. They also participated in an Austrian and German tradition of "Kaffee und Kuchen” — or “coffee and cake.” These hands-on activities and historic landmarks had an incredible impact on their learning experience. 

“One of the things the students loved was seeing the traditional Salzburg coffee house ‘Tomaselli,’ which they learned about in lectures,” Jackson said. “They were excited to be able to go in and order something in German.” 

Though traveling abroad might seem daunting, the students said it was one of their best decisions at Penn State. For some students participating in this embedded program, it was their first time going abroad, though Gower said that the German classes and other liberal arts courses he took in the past gave him the confidence to go on this trip. 

“Other classes, in subjects like philosophy, made seeing beautiful artworks and statues that we’ve learned about before in museums all the more special,” Gower said. “Recognizing historical works and sites in person was truly an amazing experience after years of learning about them.” 

Many of the students were able to participate in the trip thanks to Liberal Arts enrichment funding — money awarded to Liberal Arts students through the Career Enrichment Network to help cover the costs of out-of-classroom experiences, such as education abroad, internships and research. 

Even though the trip was just over a week in length, students said they had an "unforgettable" experience and would recommend other students who are contemplating different types of education aboard experiences to consider embedded programs.  

“The length of the trip was perfect to just get a taste of being in another country and a great way to find out if it's for you or not,” Gower said. “It was an amazing opportunity I was lucky to have, and I am certain if you try, it will be an experience you will never forget. I couldn’t be happier with the experience I had and cannot wait to go back to Germany again.” 

Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network 

The Career Enrichment Network empowers Liberal Arts students to explore, engage and define their career journey through diverse career development opportunities. Students can meet with a career coach to explore careers, internships, education abroad, research, the Liberal Arts Alumni Mentor Program and more. Through donor support, the Career Enrichment Network is able to provide Liberal Arts students with funding to support many of these experiences.