So different and yet equally impressive: yesterday, students Anna-Lena Gerdon and Felix Fillibeck were awarded the honorary scholarships of the Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society (HWG LU) for their outstanding commitment and above-average academic achievements. This award is presented once a year by the Rhineland-Palatinate Scholarship Foundation. It is endowed with € 3,600 per person.
With almost 20 high-quality applications for the 2023 honorary scholarships, the decision was anything but easy, but in the end the interdisciplinary jury was unanimous: Anna-Lena Gerdon, a Master's student on the Social Work degree program, and Felix Fillibeck, a Bachelor's student in Logistics, more than deserved this year's award. Both students are characterized by an impressive combination of a high level of social and voluntary commitment and above-average academic performance - thus fulfilling the criteria specified in the competition in a special way. What drives these two young people to devote so much energy to helping others?
For Anna-Lena Gerdon, it all began with her voluntary social year (FSJ) in a care home: "I was deeply affected by the fact that we treat the oldest members of our society as if they were no longer worth anything. The desire to establish a dignified approach to the issues of old age, illness and death in our society has been a recurring theme in my life ever since - both in my studies and in my voluntary work," reports the 29-year-old. Anna-Lena Gerdon is now at the end of her master's degree with a current grade point average of 1.0 and is planning a doctorate in the field of elderly care. In addition to this academic study of work with the elderly, she is a board member of the association "Bauernhof statt Altenheim", a project that pursues the vision of a new form of housing for senior citizens in harmony with nature and sustainable agriculture. For the student, the scholarship not only means she has the financial space to focus on her Master's thesis, but is above all a great encouragement for her commitment.
The jury and audience were similarly impressed by the achievements of this year's second prize winner, Felix Fillibeck, who has been involved in the Neustadt an der Weinstraße volunteer fire department since the age of 16. The biggest challenge of this voluntary work? "The difficulty in planning: when you're called out, it can take 30 minutes or 12 hours. It's impossible to say in advance." Focus, prioritization and improvisation are therefore among the most important factors for the 24-year-old when it comes to successfully "reconciling" volunteering and studying logistics. And this is also where he sees the parallels between his work as a squad leader and his studies: "Every situation is new and you have to find the best solution quickly."
The well-paid award also comes at the right time for Felix Fillibeck, as he is planning to spend the coming semester at the university in Riga.
The two students were officially honored at a small ceremony on Thursday, November 23, 2023 at HWG LU. "We as a university are very proud of you: In a world in which living environments are drifting further and further apart, you are building bridges," said University President Prof. Dr. Gunter Piller, praising the two students before the ceremonial presentation of the certificates. Kerstin Gallenstein, Head of the International Office, also found moving words in the public conversation with Anna-Lena Gerdon and Felix Fillibeck: "It's wonderful to see what committed young people we have at our university. I would have loved to award ten scholarships. Your applications ultimately convinced us because you are both putting your heart and soul into something that directly touches all of our lives."
The HWG LU awards the two honorary scholarships annually as part of the funding provided by the Rhineland-Palatinate Scholarship Foundation. The prizes are endowed with € 3,600 per person.
Specialist contact:
Kerstin Gallenstein
Head of International Office
Tel. 0621/5203-187
kerstin.gallenstein@ 8< SPAM protection, please remove >8 hwg-lu.de
