Alumni Stories
 Kristin Levine ('97)
I didn't plan on becoming a German major. It was just that my German classes were the ones I enjoyed the most. I'll never forget performing a 16th century play by Hans Sachs with Hans Jakob Werlen my freshman year at the German holiday party. Or watching all 12 hours of "Berlin Alexanderplatz" for Sunka Simon's fabulous "Vienna and Berlin" seminar. Or our trip to the opera to see "Die Fledermaus." Or our fondue seminar dinner. But the most important thing learning German taught me was that I didn't have to be the best. Let's face it - Swarthmore students like to be perfect. But although there were always folks who remembered if a word was "die, der, or das" when I didn't and could read an entire 18th century German novel faster than I could get through an issue of "Newsweek," I always felt valued and listened to in my German classes. I knew being a German major was where I belonged.
Learning German has also affected my life in non-academic ways. During the summer between my freshman and sophomore years, I was a teaching assistant at a German language summer camp. That was where I met my husband - also a German teacher. We spoke only German for the first month we knew each other, so for me German will always be the true "language of love."
Recently I started teaching high school German, and as I watch my students struggle with umlauts, word order, and adjective endings, I remember when I was in their place and I can't believe how far I've come.
Kristin Levine '97 ( kswalker@erols.com )
Marshall Happer ('90)
The study of the German language and literature provided me with the necessary communication skills as well as knowledge of German culture and history which has made my last 11 years in Germany so interesting. I came to Germany in the fall of 1990 following my graduation in the spring of that same year and easily transitioned into my working environment.
My studies taught me a true appreciation for the beauty and descriptive powers of the German language.
Having played football at Swarthmore and being able to combine my two true passions in life professionally has been awesome. For the past 11 years I have worked throughout Germany and Europe to develop the game of "American Football" for the National Football League.
Marshall Happer, '90 ( marshall4@happer.com )
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