To be honest, before I became interested in studying at TU, I always had in the back of my mind that scholarships in general are always the ones that are awarded in the U.S. due to outstanding achievements (e.g. in the field of sports). When I then learned that there is also a very large, but quite different scholarship culture in Germany, I was surprised. Still, scholarships sound like something you can only get with a 1.0 A-level. So at first I doubted whether I even had the qualifications for a scholarship, especially since I was rejected in my first application for a scholarship - the Deutschlandstipendium. However, the more I found out about my current study program, the Evangelisches Studienwerk Villigst, the more I could identify with the program and the more confident and self-assured I felt about my application.

Since secondary school, volunteering has been an important part of my life. At my school, I worked in various clubs, including the library club and the school newspaper. In addition, during my Abi phase, I was the class representative and co-organizer of our Abi ball. However, my most important volunteer project was being part of the first Media Scouts NRW team. The media scouts are specially trained students and teachers who are experts in the fields of new media. As a media scout, I organized parents' evenings, presentations in different classes, and many "open days," as well as taking care of the training of new "scouts." The second important part of my commitment is my community. Since my confirmation in 2014, I have been working as a "teamer" in confirmation classes. Here I organize and lead the classes, accompany confirmation trips and am the contact person for the younger confirmees. Since 2018, I also run a youth club in the congregation, where I offer activities for young people from 13, 14 years. In addition, I have been a presbyter in my congregation since March 2020, with a focus on youth work.

One quality that I find particularly important - not only with regard to applying for a scholarship - is to always be self-confident and self-assured. Above all, it's about being self-confident in who you are as a person. That means standing up for who you are, what makes you tick, what your goals are and what you stand for. It is extremely important to a scholarship organization that you stand by your opinion and represent it with self-confidence. Of course, you must always be open to constructive criticism but still be able to justify why you hold that particular opinion without doubting yourself or just saying it because it's the easy or quick answer.

The next important tip is: even if things don't work out, keep believing in yourself and keep trying to apply. Personally, after I graduated from high school in 2018, I planned to do something different professionally than what I'm studying now. I studied for a long time, put a lot of work into it, and ultimately failed at the last stage. My first application to another scholarship didn't work out either. Nevertheless, I took things away from every situation and grew from them. Every experience, whether positive or negative, brings a learning effect. So: If you fall down: lick your wounds for three days and then get up and move on!

The last tip, which may be the most important of all: get help! Get help wherever you can. Personal contacts, the fantastic scholarship advice at the TU Dortmund or forums on the internet. Collect experience reports, impressions and tips. Create the best conditions for getting accepted. Personally, it has always helped me to know exactly what to expect. What you can't do is put together an exact plan and plan every situation. Spontaneity is also an important quality. But what you can do is be as prepared as possible for any situation that comes into your head, and preferably have someone who can provide a second opinion.

Quite apart from the fact that the TU Dortmund first gave me the idea of applying for a scholarship in the General Student Advisory Service, I felt very comfortable with the scholarship advisory service and talent scouting at the TU Dortmund. I got information, was able to hand in texts and have them corrected, got external contacts who were able to answer further questions. In general, I simply had a very great, honest and reliable contact person who supported, affirmed and accompanied me in my application.