Written by Jennifer Marangos | July 30, 2024 | SHARE
Nathan Kent, ‘26
Civil Engineering
DAAD Rise Scholarship - Bochum, Germany
RISE Germany offers undergraduate students from North American, British and Irish universities the opportunity to complete a paid 10-week summer research internship at top German universities and research institutions. Kent applied for this highly competitive opportunity with the support of the Lehigh’s Office of Fellowship Advising. We caught up with him about three weeks into his 10-week project in Bochum, Germany, where Kent is helping to develop a process simulation model for mechanized tunneling projects.
What has been the most exciting thing about your experience so far?
Traveling around Germany and exploring different cities. I love how easy and affordable it is to travel in Germany by rail, and I've traveled to a different city every weekend of my stay so far. One of my favorite things to do in a new city is walk around the old town and look at all the unique buildings, as well as check out museums about local history and culture.
Tell us about some of the sites you’ve seen/places you have visited?
My favorite place I've visited so far is the Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg, which is the world's largest model train layout. They've constructed over 16,000 sq ft of model railway themed from countries all over the world. It's been on my bucket list ever since I was a little kid and I'm so happy I finally got to visit!
Have you tried any of the local cuisine? What’s been your favorite?
You can't go more than two blocks in Germany without running into a Döner Shop, which is similar to a shawarma or gyro. Each place has different bread, toppings and sauces, and I've made it my quest to find the best place in town.
What’s one thing you know now that you wish you knew before you left?
I wish I had studied more German before coming to Germany. While I can get along just fine here with my limited German skills since most people speak English, people are always appreciative when you make an effort to speak German. So my suggestion would be to try to learn German and don't be afraid to use it; you will get a deeper understanding of German culture and more genuine interactions this way.
If you could give one piece of advice to someone about to apply for a RISE Scholarship, what would it be?
Don't sell yourself short on your previous experiences and skills. Especially for a research project like RISE, the topics of study are very niche and no one expects you to be an expert on the project before you even get there. My project is on developing a simulation model for tunneling projects, but even without any knowledge of tunneling or experience with computer modeling I was selected. So don't let a perceived lack of experience stop you from pursuing a project you're interested in either.