Winthrop Mass Comm Major Awarded Grant to Study in Germany

ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA — Mass communication major Alisha Sweatt's upcoming trip to Germany will be more than a valuable academic opportunity — it will be a chance to revisit the culture and country she loves.

The German Language and Cultural Foundation (GLCF) of Charlotte has awarded Sweatt a $2,500 grant to study in Germany in May. Sweatt, who lived in Germany as a child, will spend a week collaborating with Instructor of Internal Communication Bonnye Stuart to work with media outlets in Germany. She hopes to study German media practices and how they compare to those in the U.S. She also plans to complete an internship with MTV Germany for the remainder of the summer.

Sweatt, the first Winthrop student to receive a GLCF grant, said that she is excited to revisit the country where she was born.

"I love German culture — the language, the food, the architecture and the open-mindedness about social issues," said Sweatt, who grew up in Columbia, South Carolina.

Sweatt spent eight years of her childhood in Germany and grew up in a bilingual household: Her mother spoke German, while Sweatt's father, an American, spoke English. Though her family later moved to Columbia, she never lost her passion for German culture. Sweatt, who is minoring in German, hopes to live in Germany in the future, where she may pursue a career in journalism.

Stuart explained that the Department of Mass Communication is "very excited about building this new relationship with the German Language and Culture Foundation of Charlotte."

"We are so happy that the organization has decided to expand its reach beyond Charlotte to include Winthrop University. This is, we hope, the first of many future collaborations to offer opportunities for students to learn first-hand about the German language, culture and people," said Stuart.

For more information, contact Meredith Carter, communications coordinator, at 803/323-2236 or carterm@winthrop.edu.

carterm@winthrop.edu