Independent Major: How Elon’s program took one student’s passion for German and turned it into a degree
A self-described “odd passion for German [culture]” lead Elon sophomore Crystal Sharp down an unexpected path: Elon’s Independent Major program, where she is crafting her own education track in German Studies.
“I came into college with no German experience at all,” Sharp said. “ I didn’t know I would like it that much.”
Sharp’s first-level German professor encouraged her to pursue her passion for German.
“[She] was an amazing professor...she was always saying how much she believed in me and how she knew I could do it,” Sharp said.
With the guidance of her professor, Sharp applied for and continues to revise her plan to major in German Studies.
“I want to work with [German] in the future and I want to know more about the cultural aspects ...and more about German identity,” Sharp said.
Sharp’s experiences with German came to life with a language-immersive trip to Heidelberg, Germany last summer.
“I went with an affiliate program to Heidelberg University and I lived with a host family, and that sort of forced me out of my comfort zone,” Sharp said.
The six-week-long program required Sharp to speak only in German, an experience she describes as both challenging and rewarding.
“I loved my host family, I loved the program, and I loved the people in the program,” Sharp said. “It was very intensive but I liked that because I was able to come back and start 300-level [classes] and not feel like I was out of place.”
Sharp will be returning to Germany in the fall to study German culture in Berlin through the Council on International Educational Exchange. She hopes that her experiences studying German will lead to a career in education or business.
“After I graduate, I want to do a Fulbright and teach English in Germany….if not, I would like to go to grad school and continue my German education–not just the language, but also cultural studies and studies of the identity,” Sharp said. “I would like to work with companies and their interconnections between [the United States and Germany]. Or become a professor, possibly one day.”
Despite the hard work it will take for Sharp to complete this major and reach her goals, she recommends anyone with an interest to try their hand at making their own major.