Students revel in German language and culture during Munich embedded program

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — In March, 13 Penn State students participated in an embedded program that allowed them to immerse themselves in German culture.

The Liberal Arts embedded program, GER 199: Experiencing German Language and Culture in Munich, took place over spring break and allowed students like Adam Eglinger to practice their German language skills and explore cultural sites in the Bavarian capital of Munich and surrounding areas.

Eglinger, a fourth-year student majoring in law and society, relished the chance to improve linguistically and spend quality time with his fellow students and faculty members Forrest Finch, assistant teaching professor of German, and Carrie Jackson, head of the Department of Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literatures and professor of German and linguistics.

“My classmates were so inviting, and we definitely felt like a small family before we left,” Eglinger said. “And I cannot say enough good things about Dr. Finch and Dr. Jackson. They made the trip a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity while keeping it educational yet fun.”

A Penn State World Campus student living in Austin, Texas, Eglinger said the program made his University experience feel more real.

“As a World Campus student, the chance to interact with students in person can be few and far between,” he said. “It was truly great to meet professors in person, even getting to the University Park campus for the first time ever was helpful in making my journey at Penn State feel more real than just an online classroom could.”

According to Finch, the trip served a twofold mission.

“The main goal of the trip was to expose students to life in Munich, Germany, and encourage them to speak German, but to also teach them about the history of Germany and its Nazi past,” Finch said. “Our trip received funding from the Gene and Roz Chaiken Endowment for Antisemitism Education, so we visited various Nazi sites, like Dachau, the White Rose Memorial and the memorial to the Israeli team murdered at the 1972 Olympics.”

Any student enrolled in an introductory or upper-division German course during the spring semester was eligible to participate in the program.

Noa Diggs, a criminology major with minors in women’s studies and social justice in education, took the opportunity to broaden her global perspective and explore Munich’s commitment to preserving tradition while functioning as a modern, global city.

“I’ve always been drawn to spaces where history, culture and community intersect, and Munich embodies that in a really powerful way,” the Pittsburgh native said. “While I was there, I saw firsthand how much pride people take in their heritage — traditions aren’t just preserved, they’re lived.”

Eglinger and Diggs were nervous about using their beginner-level German. However, once she landed in Munich, Diggs said she found it was hard to stop, whether she was ordering crème brûlée gelato or Käsekrainer. Quickly, her confidence grew.

“Those moments ended up being some of the most rewarding parts of my experience; they reminded me that growth often comes from pushing past discomfort, and that even small steps outside your comfort zone can feel incredibly empowering,” Diggs said.

Jackson said watching students’ confidence develop is exactly what makes the program worthwhile.

“The highlight for me on these trips is always seeing how students gain confidence in their ability to travel, to navigate a foreign country, and especially how they gain the confidence necessary to open their mouths and speak in another language,” she said.

With support provided through the Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network’s enrichment funding, Eglinger and Diggs were able to relax about finances and approach the experience with excitement instead of stress. Eglinger took the opportunity to immerse himself in German culture by trying new foods, while Diggs took advantage of the cross-cultural and academic exposure.

The group visited a number of notable places, including Salzburg, Austria, the Nymphenburg Palace — Diggs’ favorite — and Hofbräuhaus. However, the most impactful experience for both Eglinger and Diggs was exploring the Dachau Concentration Camp memorial site.

“What stayed with me most was the weight of the space itself,” Diggs said. “It’s one thing to read about history, but another to stand where it happened and reflect on the lives that were impacted.”

Jackson said the day spent at Dachau is always a tough and emotional one, but the students rose to the occasion.

“I give the students immense credit — they really paid attention and processed the information and struggled with the unanswerable question of how Germany and the world could have let the Holocaust ever happen in the first place,” she said.

Through the culture, attractions and speaking in real-life situations versus prepared ones, Eglinger said he felt like he knew more German than he was giving himself credit for, while Diggs said it transformed her understanding of the vocabulary she had spent weeks learning in class.

“Instead of just memorizing words, I was actively using them to move through the city, read signs, ask for directions and engage with my surroundings,” Diggs said. “That shift from classroom learning to real-world application made the material feel much more meaningful and reinforced my understanding in a way that felt natural and lasting.”

For Finch, a moment in Salzburg captured that connection perfectly. The group visited Café Tomaselli, a historic coffeehouse that appears in the textbook “Stationen,” which is organized around German-speaking cities.

“The textbook came to life for them,” Finch said. “It reminds me that what we learn in class is connected to real social spaces.”

While many of the program’s excursions were academically significant, both students said some of their most memorable moments came from unexpected cultural interactions.

On a train ride to Salzburg, Eglinger wore traditional lederhosen and was surprised when a young girl came up to him and called him “dada,” assuming he was a local.

“That moment made me feel like I belonged and looked authentic,” he said.

For Diggs, another lasting impression came from a brief interaction with a Black woman working at a restaurant. As a Black woman traveling internationally, Diggs said she treasures these moments of connection.

“In such a short interaction, she made me feel seen, safe and cared for,” Diggs said. “It was a powerful reminder that even in unfamiliar places, there are moments of belonging.”

In Munich, learning extended far beyond traditional lecture spaces. The group spent the week moving through museums, historical sites and neighborhoods that made the city into a living classroom.

“Instead of sitting in a traditional lecture hall, like I would on campus, we were constantly moving, exploring, and learning in real time,” Diggs said. “Whether we were on a guided tour, visiting a site, or simply walking through the city, learning was always happening.”

Over the course of a week, Diggs logged 97,000 steps as the group navigated landmarks. Even unplanned discoveries became learning opportunities, like a fan-maintained memorial for Michael Jackson in Promenadeplatz, which sparked discussions about memory, celebrity and public space in German culture.

Both students emphasized the sense of community formed during the trip. Diggs said traveling with other women in the program created a strong support system that helped her feel grounded while navigating a new country. Eglinger said he loved that everyone took long lunches and got together on their breaks.

Jackson said that despite the demands of leading an international trip over spring break, the experience always leaves her energized.

“By the end of the trip I hear them already planning their next trip to Germany, with the confidence that the next time they would feel comfortable navigating such a trip on their own — and it's then all worth it,” she said.

Diggs and Eglinger said they would both strongly recommend the program to future students studying German, emphasizing the value of stepping outside the classroom and into the environments they learn about.

“What makes Germany so special is its ability to balance modernization with deeply rooted traditional values,” Diggs said. “That balance allows students to experience the best of both worlds — you’re not only learning about history, but also seeing how it coexists with innovation and contemporary life.”

Eglinger agreed.

“If you are taking German, this is a must-attend event,” he said. “And that goes double for any World Campus students.”