Wheaton College German alumni use their degree in a variety of professional contexts, from business to academia to medicine to international relations.
Alumnus Jonathan Knoche '07 on His Experience Studying German at Wheaton
More Alumni Testimonials
"...the German language skills I acquired at Wheaton (and honed while doing an M.A. in Germany) are of great value. My language skills allow me to read primary and secondary source materials without a problem." - Tyler, History and German double major, '06
"My German major helped me understand the cultural nuances and differences between Germany and Americans...(including) 'German directness' and the importance Germans place on attention to detail and thoroughness. This was very useful when I conversed with my German clients and colleagues." - Travis, Business/Economics and German double major, '06
"I earned my Master's in Divinity from Yale Divinity School, where my facility with German was especially helpful in my study of church history and Biblical studies." - Astrid, German major, '97
"The community I felt in my German classes (between students and professors) was so deep and real, I decided to minor in German as opposed to simply learning the language structure." - Laura H., English major, French and German double minor, '04
"Looking back, the decision to study German was one of the best that I made in college." - Alisa, German major, '05
"...having already studied a foreign language has definitely helped me as I now try to tackle Indonesian, and a bit of Javanese. I am familiar with the process of learning a new language, the techniques and methods that work for me, having already gone through this process in German. That certainly works to my advantage. Also, my study of German culture - specifically, its Turkish/Muslim minority - has informed my understanding of Muslim-Christian dialogue." - Mark, International Relations and German double major, '05
"Being a German major at Wheaton has really, truly shaped the course of my life..." Eric, German major, '05
"After I joined the firm, word traveled pretty quickly that I knew German. As a result, I've had several opportunities over the last four years to use my German skills directly to assist clients and cases." - Josh, English and Political Science double major, German minor, '02
"I use the skills I gained as a German major every day." - Inga, German major, '05
"German has been my professional and personal language over the last two years, and I've seen myself adjust well to living in Germany, in no small part because of my knowledge and understanding of the culture, history, political structure, and literature." - Joel, German major, '04