Public Policy Officer Delivers Inspiring Talk on the Power of German

Vincent L Mack  (Program Officer for Co-Curricular Programs at the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Public Policy and the Social Sciences) gave an inspiring talk on a beautiful Wednesday afternoon on the transformative power of living and working abroad in Germany. Entitled "From Georgia, to Germany, to Dartmouth" Vincent's  personal narrative combined the joy of language learning with intercultural discovery, the politics of leadership and career trajectories.

The leitmotif of the speaker's four year stay in Germany, where he took part in the Bundestag/Youth Exchange program and worked as a grant writer for a German children's aid organization, was the positive effect of "disturbance." By taking the leap to leave that which is known Vincent has not only grown personally by getting to know himself better but he also gained new perspectives on his own culture and on world cultures. What is more, Germany provided Mack with essential career skills that he could put to good use when he returned to the U.S.

"Without Germany," Mack concludes, "I would not be working at Dartmouth in the position I am in today."

We are certainly glad that Vincent is with us to share the story about his incredibly inspiring international journey.

[Students enrolled in our German studies classes have taken the opportunity to travel, study and work in Germany. Some have taken part in the Bundestag/Youth exchange to experience German politics through an internship. Others have received scholarships for prestigious summer programs. If you want to learn more about such opportunities, come talk to a professor in the German Studies Program.]