German Archives - �鶹ӰԺ University

�鶹ӰԺ mourns the loss of Alex Stanger ’25

Communications — Tue, 26 May 2026 22:04:10 +0000

Alexander Patrick Stanger ’25, of East Calais, Vermont, died in a tragic hiking accident in the Italian Alps earlier this month. They were 23.��

Alex’s intellectual curiosity, artistic vision, and deep empathy touched countless lives on the �鶹ӰԺ campus and beyond. At the time of their death, Alex was living in Hamburg, Germany, as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant, a role they embraced with characteristic enthusiasm. Read more about Alex’s Fulbright Fellowship.��

At �鶹ӰԺ, Alex pursued a double major in German Studies and Film Studies, where they became known as a gifted artist, passionate scholar, and thoughtful advocate for community and social justice. Professors remember Alex as someone who moved through the world with warmth, sincerity, and a profound commitment to others.

“Alex embodied the very best of �鶹ӰԺ,” said Alison C. Guenther-Pal, associate professor of German, who also served as Alex’s academic advisor in both programs. “We remember Alex for their limitless kindness, genuine empathy, and the rare openness with which they engaged others. Alex approached life as a process of becoming—of cultivating an authentic self with honesty and courage—and in doing so, was a model for others to do the same.”

Alex’s education at �鶹ӰԺ was marked by intellectual fearlessness and creative exploration that frequently examined questions of social justice, identity, and inequality. Their German Studies Senior Capstone, which explored the founding of �鶹ӰԺ University within the broader context of the colonization of Wisconsin, earned the Herman Erb Prize for excellence in writing.

“Alex believed that academic work mattered most when it illuminated structures of inequality and their consequences,” Guenther-Pal said.��

In Film Studies, Alex developed a reputation as an inventive animator and collaborator whose enthusiasm energized those around them.

“They were a talented animator, and so passionate about making positive change in the world through their art, scholarship, and activism,” said Anne Haydock, associate professor of Film Studies. “For Alex, everyone and everything was connected,” she said, citing as an example the unlikely correlations they drew between topics for their Senior Experience in Film Studies.��

“Their senior capstone film was a stop motion animation exploring the domestication of horses, the evolution of footwear, and the rise of AI in the context of human labor and oppression.”

“Alex was a beloved member of our Film & Media community and touched so many lives,” Haydock added. “Their energy was infectious. They got so excited every time something clicked, and they were just as passionate about helping their peers as they were about their own projects.”

Alex also found community and purpose through activism and advocacy. They spoke at campus demonstrations and consistently sought ways to connect scholarship with action. Their openness to people and experiences defined both their personal and academic life.

Associate professor of English and director of Fellowships Advising Claire Kervin worked closely with Alex in preparing their Fulbright application essays and experienced first-hand the delight they found in connecting with others.��

“When we were brainstorming ideas for Fulbright application essays, they wore a huge grin while reminiscing about forming impromptu friendships during karaoke nights in Berlin and connecting with older people during yoga classes in Colorado,” Kervin said. “Alex cared deeply about inclusion, community, and belonging, not as abstract concepts, but as practices they participated in daily.”

As a student, Alex’s time studying abroad in Berlin proved transformative and helped inspire their pursuit of the Fulbright opportunity after graduation. When they learned they had received the prestigious fellowship, Alex wrote, “I am over the moon.”

That joy carried into their work in Hamburg, where they taught English, and spent their time cooking, baking, and crafting, and immersing themselves in creative pursuits like the one they mentioned in a recent email to Kervin.��

“I’m taking part in a community project at the Elbe Philharmonic with the theme Lost and Found,” Alex wrote. “We are putting together a concert with visual and choreographed elements – very much up my alley – that will be performed at the end of May.”

The Fulbright Commission in Germany also honored Alex’s memory in a public statement, remembering them as a valued member of the Fulbright community and recognizing the impact they made during their time abroad. .��

“They were looking to the future and wanted to help other Lawrentians obtain the same kind of experience that they treasured,” Kervin said.��

At �鶹ӰԺ and beyond, Alex will be remembered for exactly those connections—for the kindness, conviction, curiosity, and humanity they shared with the world.��

“They reveled in the creative process and used their art, not just as a means of communication, but as a way to think through complex ideas and emotions and make human connections,” Haydock said.��

Though their life was tragically brief, those who knew Alex say their influence endures in the communities they strengthened, the art they created, and the compassion they extended so freely to others.

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�鶹ӰԺ adds to Fulbright success as students receive 2025 Fulbright, USTA fellowships

Communications — Wed, 21 May 2025 20:39:38 +0000

One �鶹ӰԺ University senior will be going abroad as the recipient of a 2025 U.S. Fulbright Program fellowship while two others will be heading to Austria as part of a fellowship program administered by Fulbright Austria.

After advancing nine Lawrentians to the semifinalist round of the prestigious U.S. Fulbright Program, �鶹ӰԺ saw two seniors named finalists: Alex Stanger, a film studies and German double major from East Calais, Vermont, and Samuel Schuler, a dual degree student in history and music performance (voice) from Columbia, Maryland. Stanger will accept the award and spend the coming academic year teaching in Germany. Schuler, meanwhile, will not accept the Fulbright, instead accepting a fellowship with the U.S. Teaching Assistantship (USTA) program for Austria.

Schuler will be joined in Austria by another �鶹ӰԺ senior, Mia Kraker, a music performance (violin) major from Duluth, Minnesota, who also was awarded a teaching fellowship in the USTA Austria program.

�鶹ӰԺ senior Aria Djamali and alum Dylan Coble ’24 were named Fulbright alternates, meaning they are now on a waiting list for Fulbright grants to Peru and Morocco, respectively.

�鶹ӰԺ honored as a top producer of Fulbright recipients

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international academic exchange program. Since 1946, it has provided more than 400,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists, and professionals with the opportunity to study, teach, and conduct research abroad. The latest awards bring to 69 the number of �鶹ӰԺ recipients since the program was first introduced.

“These Lawrentians persevered through long and challenging application processes, and they have so much to be proud of,” said Claire Kervin, assistant professor of English and director of fellowships advising. “I know that during their time in their host countries they will grow professionally and personally and make an amazing impact on their communities.”

Stanger: Developing key skills

Alex Stanger (Photo by Adrian Stancil-Martin ’28)

Stanger said a wide range of experiences as an undergraduate, including studying abroad and taking part in summer internships, led to the Fulbright.

“I pursued the Fulbright to further develop my skills as an educator and improve my ability to be a community member who can make a positive impact in my local community,” Stanger said.

Stanger said it was �鶹ӰԺ alumna Anja Pfeffer ’02, an eighth-grade teacher for a world languages course in Vermont, who first got them interested in the German language. She also told Stanger about �鶹ӰԺ.

“In this class, we learned about a few different languages and how important languages are to how we interact with each other,” Stanger said. “I got my first taste of German in that class, and along the way learned so much more. Ms. Pfeffer was that teacher for me who made all the difference in the world, and her classrooms are where I was able to start blooming into the person that I would become.”

The seeds of Stanger’s Fulbright application also included a summer internship experience last year in Bemidji, Minnesota, with the Concordia Language Village’s Waldsee, an immersive language camp.

“While creating an immersive language learning environment, I got to co-run a two-week film-making program for a group of participants to learn some film-making skills and create a short film,” Stanger said. “I got to combine both my German and film studies skills there, and it was a blast.”

Schuler: Prepared for this moment

Samuel Schuler (Photo by Danny Damiani)

Schuler will be working as a teaching assistant for English at two schools in Styria, located in southern Austria. The grade levels are equivalent to middle school through high school in the U.S.

“My basic goal will be to build my skills and experience as a prospective teacher through this opportunity,” Schuler said.

His interest in the USTA fellowship stemmed from a summer experience in 2022.

“I took part in a seven-week summer immersion program for German at Middlebury University in Vermont, with no prior knowledge of the language other than a little experience from studying German lieder for my vocal performance degree,” he said. “There, I fell in love with the language and encountered a community mirroring �鶹ӰԺ in its dedication to nurturing, yet also driving students, and its close collaboration between professors and students.”

He called the choice between USTA and Fulbright a difficult one. The USTA acceptance came first, and Schuler was intrigued by the location and opportunity, so he made that commitment.

“One of the most magical experiences that helped prepare me for this moment was getting to do a semester abroad in Vienna in the fall of 2024, thanks to the study abroad program at �鶹ӰԺ,” he said. “I spent nearly 15 weeks in Vienna, and also traveled to several of the other local cities such as Graz and Linz. That experience, living in Austria, helped push me to choose the USTA, and also to see the progression of my German skills in interacting with locals and local events.”

Schuler’s studies in history and music have built a foundation he believes will elevate his USTA experience.

“History as the study of the past can also be applied to understand the present, and as a USTA fellow bringing my knowledge of the history of the U.S. to my teaching English feels vital,” he said. “Language learning isn’t just the semantics of the language, but also the culture surrounding it, and that culture includes history.”

Kraker: Ready to thrive

Mia Kraker (Photo by Sarah Pedlar ’25)

Kraker will be working with mentors to teach English at two schools in Innsbruck, located in western Austria in the heart of the Alps. One of the schools is an upper-level secondary school with a focus on economics, business, and technical skills, and the other is an evening school similar in grade level to a high school in the U.S.

“As a German studies minor, I wanted to experience immersion in the language and culture of a German-speaking country,” Kraker said. “I was interested in studying abroad during college but ultimately decided it wasn’t the best fit for me, so when thinking about what I wanted to do post-graduation, this seemed like a great opportunity to fulfill the desire to live in Europe.”

Kraker said her experiences as an undergraduate at �鶹ӰԺ gave her a passion for teaching.

“The German studies program has given me a critical foundation in the German language and in understanding the culture of German-speaking countries,” she said.

The experience she gained as a teaching assistant for the department, combined with “the broader liberal arts education that I’ve received,” built her confidence.

“The �鶹ӰԺ values of curiosity, seeking out challenges—that drove me to apply for this program and will help me thrive in a new country and role,” she said.

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Student Snapshot: Ayla Walther finds her calling in German, history, teaching

Communications — Mon, 30 Aug 2021 16:04:32 +0000

Ayla Walther

Ayla Walther, a double major in German and history, knew that she needed to come to �鶹ӰԺ after sitting in a German class during her first visit to campus.

Having studied German through middle and high school, the �鶹ӰԺ junior said she loved the language and the culture and felt she was meant to pursue it as her area of study. She said history also has been passion of hers, and she loves the idea of sharing her knowledge with people— especially kids—so her interests lie in becoming a high school teacher.

Walther said her professors and peers have made her learning experience and life at �鶹ӰԺ that much better. That’s included playing music in the Conservatory.

“The academic side of things is definitely more challenging than high school, but all of my professors so far have been extremely accommodating and helped when I needed it,” Walther said.

Despite a year of social distancing and masking amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Walther said her time at �鶹ӰԺ has been amazing. Through her German classes and the bassoon studio, she has built positive relationships, with fellow students but also with professors.

“They do so much to make you feel heard and welcomed in their class,” Walther said.

Although eventually wanting to move back home to teach in her high school, Walther would also like to live abroad and experience as much of the world as she can before choosing to settle down, she said.

Quick Facts

Name: Ayla Walther

Graduating Class: 2023

Area(s) of Study: German and history

Hometown: Wausau, Wisconsin

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