Lindsey Trimmer

Reflection:

My experience I had in Germany is irreplaceable. I never knew a course could mean so much for me personally and educationally and I am so thankful for the opportunity I was given while traveling in Bavaria. I never understood or appreciated how incredible and unique of an experience it is to study in the country you're learning about. I developed a new appreciation and understanding from experiential learning that before I traveled to Europe, I did not have the capacity to understand. 

I believe that my experiential learning adventure was one of the most influential things I have experienced in my life and I was blown away by the magnitude of what experiential learning brought to my education. Being in Munich not only allowed me to walk through the grounds where infamous historical events took place but also introduced me to the citizens who themselves went through the turbulent eras of Germany history. The ability to fully immerse myself in the culture and history that I studied in Germany enhanced my understanding of my coursework and made a huge connection between what I was learning in the classroom to what actually happened in the world. 

This experience has really transformed the rest of my college career. The Comparative History of Ideas course has inspired me to pursue a degree in the department. I met so many incredible people through this program and cultivated incredible relationships with not only the other students but also with my professors and CHID advisor. I am so lucky that I chose a CHID exploration seminar because it led me to a department I feel fits my academic goals. 

I also reaffirmed my affinity for environmental politics and my love for traveling and experiencing different cultures. Through this study abroad opportunity I realized that studying international political systems and the comparison of different political and environmental organizations throughout the world is what I am very passionate about and something I can imagine myself pursuing in the future. 

I learned a lot about how much I have grown as a person through my first year in college. After exiting high school, I would have never imagined traveling by myself to a foreign country in which I was completely unfamiliar with the language, culture and environment within that next year. I surprised myself with how confident and comfortable I was in the unique atmosphere that Europe introduced to me and how able I was to travel throughout Europe by myself for the first time.

Evaluation:

I first met Lindsey in the fall quarter of 2012 in my Honors 300-course, "Interpreting Difference". I was delighted when Lindsey contacted me about her interest in the summer program. After an easy decision to accept Lindsey into the program, we began meeting weekly as a class during the spring quarter. During this time, students were introduced to the general history of Germany over the past 150 years. Lindsey's leadership skills and easeful ability to connect with others helped create a supportive and friendly dynamic between the students, which I'm very happy was maintained throughout the program. Aside from her personal strengths, such as her friendly demeanor and respectful approach to all members in the program, Lindsey's academic preparedness as well as her thoughtful and engaging mannerisms in the classroom raised the bar for the program as a whole, encouraging other students to meet these standards through their participation. Lindsey was always very engaged in discussions of the course material both in the classroom, such as during historical simulations, as well as during the site visits. Much to my satisfaction, I heard that Lindsey and several of the other students carried on these discussions late into the night during their free time in Berlin. Lindsey's final project on the German economy and environment was a topic that she created based on our discussions around German national identity and her own research. Lindsey's paper explores the impact of the Industrial Revolution on German "economic miracles" and it's repercussions on the environment. Her paper highlights the "Energiewende", or move to a more environmentally conscious and sustainable nation. In her work, Lindsey identifies the public's opinion of nuclear power as having an unstable history, which has led to Germany's drive for sustainable energy, and therefore a transformed national identity. Lindsey's final paper, as well as her participation before and during the program, culminated in the excellent grade of 3.9. Lindsey did a fantastic job of navigating my course which complicates German history and urges students to question concepts of national identity. Lindsey was an exceptional addition to the Summer 2013 UW CHID Munich study abroad program, and I very much look forward to the opportunity to work with her again in the future.