Intercultural Education in the Midwest
“I have changed and grown as a person since coming to Central.”
– Anna Overla '20
Hometown: Dallas Center, Iowa
Major: Political Science and French
Underage: Communication Studies
Campus Activities: Campus Activities Board, Central College Democrats, Common Ground, Symphonic Wind Ensemble
Scholarships: Holthuis Scholarship, Van Tuyl Scholarship, Presidential Scholarship, Trustee Scholarship, Travel Scholarship, Central France Award
Pella, Iowa, is the world's gateway to Anna Overla '20.
Central was the only Iowa college he toured to offer a French major, and he was impressed by how often students study abroad. Overla spent two weeks in the summer of 2017 on trial academic programs at CAVILAM, a school in Vichy, France. Central was interested in becoming a study abroad partner with the school and wanted student input before adding a study abroad website. Although Central did not end up partnering with the school, Overla appreciated how Central valued the students' international experience and perspectives.
She also took introductory German with German Lecturer and Associate Director of Central's Vienna Study Abroad Program, Michaela Maschek, a native German speaker. “The class interwoven the culture with the language lessons,” says Overla. “It gave me a sense of how interconnected everything is in the world.”
Overla put her language skills to use during an internship in Erfurt, Germany, in the summer of 2018. After meeting Michael Luick-Thrams when she spoke at Central, he offered her a position at the nonprofit TRACES Center for History and Culture, where she wrote grant proposals and helped organize and produce content for Luick-Thrams' speaking tour.
Overla plans to join the Peace Corps, then pursue graduate school and a career in international politics. “I've changed and grown as a person since coming to Central because I've been exposed to people from a wide range of backgrounds,” she says. “Now I feel more confident interacting with those who are different from me.”
— Profile written by: Marin Harrington '21
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