Maike Elsasser, who joined CEU from Germany, credits an influential high school teacher for her trajectory toward politics and economics. “My high school teacher was incredible; he not only made us remember important events and concepts, but we did role plays to capture specific nuances in politics. When I was looking for a bachelor's program, I wanted something very international, and CEU was perfect,” she said.
Within the Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) program, Elsasser studied abroad during her second year. “What really stuck with me was that while I was at the University of Chicago, which is a huge university and all my classes were extremely intensive, I reached out to my CEU professors to discuss the topics and all of them took time to connect even with the huge time difference,” she recalled. “That was one of the strongest moments where I realized I had such a sense of belonging to CEU even though I was gone and studying in Chicago at the time. My PPE professors were truly approachable, and that was a great feeling.”
Outside the classroom, Elsasser is working with CEU’s Disability Officer on a project that aims to enhance conditions for visually impaired students in higher education institutions in Germany.
Elsasser will continue her studies next year at CEU in the Department of Legal Studies’ one-year Human Rights MA program. After that, she hopes to pursue a Juris Doctor (JD) degree in the United States and build a career in human rights.
Her advice to incoming students? “Be extremely open to people from different geographies and beliefs; take classes outside of your primary subject areas, and actively seek out opportunities and get to know your professors, letting them know what kind of path you are interested in.”
