Students

David Barry		I began taking German classes at San Francisco State in 2002 in order to further my acquaintance with the language and literature. I became a graduate student in the German program in 2004 and focused seriously on the study of contemporary German literature. Along the way I had many rewarding experiences such as working as a Graduate Teaching Associate and studying during the school year of 2006 – 7 at the University of Heidelberg as a member of the California State University Study Abroad Program. I was extremely gratified to be able to work with the instructors on several scholarly projects, increasing my competencies in the discipline. The excellence of the curriculum and guidance of the instructors has allowed me to develop the appropriate knowledge base and skills with which to pursue a high level of scholarship in conjunction with my previous M.A. in music composition.
Claudia Weller		The MA program at SFSU was incredibly enriching for me as a student, a German, a parent and a teacher. My studies in linguistics, pragmatics, teaching methods, the medieval period, and German Literature was challenging, instructive and always interesting. My experience as a TA confirmed what I had long suspected. My desire to continue to teach and share knowledge with my own students as the Faculty at SFSU did with me so generously. Their concern for my education extended beyond the classroom as, for example, when I was invited by Dr. Vandergriff to attend at the CLTA 2007 Conference to co-present aspects of pragmatic competence. An experience that I found educationally and socially satisfying. My many meetings with Faculty were both educationally profitable and always pleasant and warm. This past year, after being a teacher at the German Saturday School in San Jose for nearly a decade, I was named Head Teacher. An honor and a opportunity I owe in no small part to my experiences at SFSU. As I pursue further teaching opportunities in the San Francisco area I will have many a fond thought of my experience at SFSU.
Bryan Aja		As an MA student I explored migration studies, linguistics, medieval studies, and area studies. My one-on-one discussions with the German program's faculty regularly lasted beyond office hours. Plus there were practical, extracurricular opportunities. I instructed classes solo as a "Graduate Teaching Associate," the euphemistic sounding title for SFSU's valuable TA program. In 2007 Dr. Langbehn hosted a conference about German colonialism with presenters from all over the world. Dr. Vandergriff organizes an annual panel for the entire College of Humanities on PhD work and application procedures. They expect a lot from their MA students and never underestimate them in discussion. The cumulative effect is that of a truly select education. In the fall I'm entering the University of Washington's doctoral program in Germanics with a full fellowship and departmental support. My interests are in autochthony, inheritance, and kinship motifs.
Nancy Corbin		German at SFSU opened up many opportunities for me. German language courses prepared me to spend my junior year in the CSU Study Abroad Program at the University of Tübingen, Germany. Upon receiving my B.A., I spent a year working at Robert Bosch GmbH in Germany. The upper division courses I had taken in the department proved truly helpful in overcoming the challenge of integrating myself into the German work culture. In 2004, I graduated with a M.A. in German from SFSU. During my time as a graduate student, I was able to gain hands-on experience teaching the German language, as well as further develop my interest in German literature within the department's supportive atmosphere. Currently, I am in the Ph.D. Program in German Literature at the University of California at Davis. My dissertation explores the representation of the body in selected works by Heinrich von Kleist in relation to medical practices of the 18th century.

Anastasia Hacopian		I completed my B.A. in German Literature and Language at U.C. Berkeley in 1998. While enrolled in the Master's Program in German at San Francisco State University, I studied a year in Heidelberg before completing my degree in 2001. Then I moved to Berlin, Germany, where I began Ph.D. studies. My smooth transition to Berlin life and even conference contacts with other American graduate students in German confirmed the practical advantage I had acquired at SFSU, where one not only reads and talks about German but actually learns how to use it. I successfully defended my doctoral dissertation, "Kafkas Bett: Von der Metonymie zum räumlichen Diskurs" at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin in January 2005. I currently live in The Hague, the Netherlands, where I am working on a new book. Check out my new article.

Kim Mueller		I grew up in Rochester Hills, Michigan and received my undergraduate degrees in German and Marketing from Michigan State University in 2003. As part of my program there, I participated in the Academic Year in Freiburg, Germany from 2000-2001. I obtained a Masters in German from SFSU in January 2007 and currently teach elementary German courses in the German Program at SFSU. The professors at SFSU have become friends and mentors that helped shape my future goals, and I hope to continue this relationship for many years to come.

Meg Rosenfeld		Many years ago, I dropped a German class at UCSB in order to concentrate wholly on my major, Dramatic Art. Although over thirty years were to pass before I started again with German studies, I never lost my love of the language. Studying German here at SFSU is extremely challenging, rewarding, and great fun. When one is old and jaded it's genuinely thrilling to learn new things.