The DAAD Prize - the award of the German Academic Exchange Service for foreign students - is offered once a year at HWG LU and is endowed with 1000 euros. All university members may nominate potential award winners, and a jury consisting of representatives from all departments makes the selection. Nominations are based on outstanding academic achievements, university commitment and social engagement. This year, the jury chose Christelle Sandrine Mbiapo Cheudjouo from Cameroon, who is studying business informatics in her 5th semester. The award ceremony took place in a festive setting last Wednesday at HWG LU.
Christelle came to Germany in March 2016. Before that, she had already studied German for two years at the Goethe Institute in Yaoundé, took the DSH (German Language Examination for University Admission) in Marburg and started studying in Mainz. After two semesters, she transferred to HWG LU to study business informatics.
Parallel to her studies, she was able to gain a variety of practical experience - of course also to secure her livelihood. For example, she worked in production at Daimler in Bremen during the semester break and continuously in customer service and the checkout at Kaufhof-Karstadt in Viernheim - a job she was happy to take on because her grandmother and mother have a clothing store in Cameroon, where she helped out as a young girl.
Since August of this year, she has now been a working student at SAP partner Vistex in Walldorf in Sales Support, where she is responsible for customer surveys, error research and data management. The department works closely with the marketing department, which employs people from 23 different countries. This is a good opportunity for Christelle to speak German, French and English.
In addition to her membership in the African students' group at HWG LU and her active participation in the buddy program of the International Affairs Department, she regularly helps other international fellow students to get started in their studies and with various difficulties that arise, and has given tutoring sessions in English. At least once a month, Christelle meets with an international circle of friends that has formed here at the university.
Helping young women with a social project is Christelle's big dream. Even today, many girls in Cameroon have poor starting conditions, both in terms of health and education as well as financial status. Many traditions prevent the advancement of women. Education in these areas is urgently needed to counteract this waste of resources of female potential and thus also to strengthen the country.
