“It is only through education that a person becomes what a person is meant to be!” In keeping with this motto by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Ellen Leuschner invited guests on February 2 to this year’s graduation ceremony for the graduates of the HSZG preparatory college, held in the Bürgersaal of the Zittau City Hall.

The head of the Studienkolleg’s evident joy was plain to see as she welcomed everyone and invited those present to look back together on their time at the Studienkolleg: From the entrance exam and the first few weeks, when so much seemed new and unclear, all the way to regular classes and the final examinations. It was a challenging time marked by both major and minor hurdles, but also by many shared activities such as hiking days, an ice-skating outing, and, of course, student parties. The fact that hard work pays off alongside the celebrations is now evident in the 31 graduates who are receiving their FSP certificate, and the 16 graduates who are receiving their DSH certificates, thereby gaining the right to study at a German university.

Ute Wunderlich, the second deputy to Zittau’s mayor and city council member, is also convinced of this. In her welcoming remarks, she emphasized that the students in the preparatory program, who come from 14 different countries, are welcome here in Zittau and elsewhere in Germany—and will continue to be so. She was particularly pleased that“many of these young people have chosen to study at our HSZG.”

Representing the university administration, Sophia Keil, Vice President for Education and International Affairs, took part in the certificate presentation ceremony. She, too, congratulated the graduates and highlighted their importance to the German higher education landscape. Quoting Nelson Mandela, she summed up what seems more important than ever in today’s world: “Education is the most powerful weapon to change the world!”

Finally, Ellen Leuschner reported that "imparting knowledge is not a one-way street" before the certificates were ceremoniously presented. She, too, had been able to incorporate many a new German word into her vocabulary during their time learning together. The term "vegetarianer", which at first seemed strange but according to the Duden dictionary is actually correct, will enrich her vocabulary in the future.

Then came the big moment when the certificates were presented. A total of 31 graduates (12 female students and 19 male students) received an FSP certificate: 17 graduates were awarded the certificate for passing the FSP according to the requirements of the specialization course in economics (WW course), followed by 14 graduates who were delighted to receive the certificate for passing the FSP according to the requirements of the specialization course in technology (TI course). In addition, a total of 16 graduates (7 female and 9 male students) held a DSH certificate in their hands at the end.

The good atmosphere during the ceremony, which was enriched by musical contributions on the piano by the Leipert family, was also shared by Mario Linack, Chairman of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences Sponsors' Association. He closed the ceremony with the words: "This is your day today!" and sent the graduates off into a promising future.

Text: Cornelia Rothe