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Bilingual Bronco: Dr. Heather Meyer

Heather Meyer Portrait

Dr. Heather Meyer (Boise State class of 2009)
PhD (2017) and MA in Transnational Studies from The Centre for Transnational Studies at the University of Southampton, UK

PhD thesis title:

The Global Imaginary of International School Communities: A Case Study from Germany.   Will be published with Palgrave Macmillan (forthcoming 2020).

So: What has my German degree done for me? BASICALLY EVERYTHING. My German degree at BSU opened so many doors for me, and I would not be where I am now without it. Initially, it brought me to Austria on the Fulbright Teacher Assistantship – where I  learned more about teaching, and gained an invaluable cultural experience. All of this allowed me to get a Teaching Assistantship for German to fund my PhD in the UK. Without a German degree, I would not have been able to continue studying, and my life would have turned out vastly differently! After my PhD funding ran out, I was able to continue teaching German – again, because I had a degree and all of these experiences. If I had any advice to anyone, it would be to get a degree in a language – it is such an invaluable, transferable, practical skill that can be a total game changer. It leads to exciting cultural experiences and ultimately flexibility, in terms of career options.