Recent SPARK Trainers
Nathan Bailey
Hallo! My name is Nathan T. Bailey. I have been studying German now for four years and am very proud to be studying it alongside sociocultural anthropology at SIU. I am from Vienna, Illinois originally but have spent time living in Ulm, Baden-Württemberg in 2016. I really enjoyed my time in Ulm. It is the home city of Albert Einstein and home to the world’s tallest church—the Ulmer Münster! When I moved to Germany, I had no prior experience in German, so it was an incredibly terrifying experience at first. The students and faculty at the Poligenius Realschule in Ulm, however, were very accommodating and helpful in teaching me elementary German. After my study abroad, I completed high school remotely, thus I was mostly self taught until I began my studies here. German culture has been a huge part of my life, from the time I was four years old being read fairy tales by my grandmother all the way up to now. I hope I can eventually live some of my future years in Germanic Europe and I plan to study abroad in Salzburg, Austria during my time at SIU.
Audrey Ward
Hi! My name is Audrey Ward and I’m from Canton, Illinois. I am currently studying German and Education. German truly reignited my love for learning, and it was helped in no small part by my German teacher, Frau Malone. Frau Malone cares about her students and is passionate about fueling each students’ needs. She is the one who introduced me to the scholarship and then to SIU, where I am now attending. During my time here, I wish to learn as much as I can about the German language, culture, and history. German club at my high school was truly my place to be. That is where I made my strongest bonds and have my fondest memories. My hopes are to one day be like Frau Malone and inspire other students, to ignite that passion for learning and German.
Vivian Hein
Hi! My name is Vivian Hein, and I am currently studying German and Computer Science at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. I started learning German from a young age, mainly due to the fact that my parents wanted me to be able to communicate with my relatives. I went to German school on Saturdays and continued studying German in high school where I participated in various German club activities! I am thankful that the Liedloff scholarship has given me an opportunity to continue my German studies at SIU. I also look forward to studying abroad in Germany sometime in my university years and learn even more about the German language and culture.
Maryn Ellis
Hi! My name is Maryn Ellis and my passion for German started when I was a freshman in high school. I had the most wonderful experience and a wonderful teacher! I got involved with the German program at my high school because my older brother was also taking classes. I am majoring in Languages, Cultures, and International Studies with a specialization in German! I hope in the future to become a college professor.
Yara Hindi
Guten Tag! My name is Yara Hindi and I am from Carbondale, Illinois. German has always been an interesting language to me. It has deep roots in many people's cultural history. High school ignited my interest to go through and learn this rich language. I took German for four years in high school and one year in college. I am excited to strengthen my knowledge and fluency in this language. I am majoring in Language, culture, and international studies with a focus in German along with my second major in political science. I believe German will help build a solid path for me to achieve my aspiration of becoming an international lawyer who is well immersed in more than two languages.
Yolina Lindquist
Hi! My name is Yolina Lindquist! I am a dual citizen of the United States and Switzerland. This is how I gained my passion for the German language. It has been a part of my life since birth! My mother`s side of the family speaks it and I long to communicate with them so I started genuinely studying german when I was a freshman in high school. I had the most wonderful experience and a wonderful teacher! I got involved with the German program at my high school through our german club, and cultural awareness clubs and through all the activities we do with it! I plan to major in Foreign Language and International trade with a focus in German! I hope in the future to work with international companies as a mutual advisor between the home country and the U.S.. My Dream would be to eventually work my way up to Ambassador between Switzerland and the United States.
Chelsea McGee
Hi! My name is Chelsea McGee and my passion for German started growing in high school. I had a wonderful teacher who made me fall in love with the language, culture, and traditions. During my time at SIU, I plan on fueling this by studying abroad. I am majoring in German Education and want to teach High School German in the future.
Jim Rotramel
I'm Jim Rotramel from West Frankfort, IL. My connection with Germany started with my first trip there on tour in a rock'n'roll band. As of 2022, I've made 25 tours to Germany, spending most of my downtime in Berlin, Hildesheim, and Braunschweig. I fell in love with the country's language and culture and wanted to be able to communicate better with my friends from there. My high school never offered German, so I was completely new to the language. I learned all I could by myself through YouTube, Duolingo, etc. Soon after, I was blessed to receive mentoring from Frau Sharon Lorinskas, who helped me build a solid foundation of the language. I enrolled in the German program at SIU in 2021, and I am excited to help others learn more about Germany's wonderful language and fascinating culture.