Two students who majored in Scandinavian studies, with its rich history and global perspective, explain how their studies informed their path to career success.
Schar took her major in Scandinavian Studies abroad, immersed in Sweden for six months, joining the majority of Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø students who engage with foreign study or other unique environments outside the classroom.
¡°I learned a lot about how to get comfortable in a new place and how important it is to understand someone¡¯s culture and their unique perspective,¡± Schar says.
¡°I loved being a part of the Augie community. I was lucky enough to have a lot of really wonderful mentors who helped me think critically about what I wanted to get out of my education and what kind of life I was hoping to build.
¡°But I'm even more grateful for what I learned about being a leader, about being a responsible community member, and about what it means to work toward social justice. Augie didn't only teach me about psychology and Swedish, it taught me what kind of person I want to be.¡±
Schar found in herself a deep calling to serve others. After graduating from Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø, she went to Philadelphia for a year to work with a non-profit involved with outreach to the homeless. Today, she¡¯s enrolled in the graduate school at Boston Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø, working on master's degrees in social work, and theology and ministry.
¡°Augie prepared me really well,¡± she says. ¡°I know how to ask meaningful questions, my supervisors appreciate my fresh perspective, and all of those group projects (at Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø) made me comfortable working with my teammates. Augie's focus on critical and interdisciplinary thinking was a huge asset to me.¡±
Mignin also found his passion at Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø in Scandinavian Studies. ¡°I am lucky to have had a school that offered a Scandinavian program for me to discover,¡± he says. ¡°Its fascinating folklore, history, language, and people helped shape me into the person I am today.¡±
After graduating from Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø, Mignin entered a master's program at the University of Wisconsin at Madison that involved teaching, and a deeper dive into Scandinavian language and culture. It culminated with a trip to Sweden in conjunction with the Swedish Institute, which develops programs worldwide and offered Mignin a truly global cultural perspective.
¡°I met students from around the world who also shared a love for the Swedish language,¡± he says.
Today, Mignin says, he has found ¡°a perfect fit¡± with a career at Nitto Kohki USA. The Japanese firm specializes in industrial and precision tools, but the international company is also an extension of Mignin¡¯s interest in global perspectives, and expanding his knowledge of a rapidly changing world.
¡°Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø gave me personal contact with professors which allowed me to really get to know and understand their passion for teaching and learning, which in turn was imparted to me.¡±
Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø was selected by the Swedish Fulbright Commission to host the 2024-25 Fulbright Hildeman Fellow. Scholar Dr. Elina Nilsson will teach a course for students in the Scandinavian studies program for the spring semester.
Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø's annual celebration of the Festival of Sankta Lucia on Dec. 2, 2024, will commemorate the holiday with traditional Scandinavian Christmas carols, lessons and poetry.
Shelley Cooper¡¯s opera was made possible by Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø in the form of a grant, a few friends and some serious talent.
