This year, the Universitätsgesellschaft Paderborn - together with the Stiftung Studienfonds OWL - has once again awarded a Germany Scholarship. Wiktoria Skierka is the current scholarship holder of the University Society and will be able to concentrate even more intensively on her studies in the future. From the winter semester 2017/18 onwards, she will receive funding of 300 euros per month for two semesters.

We introduce you to the current scholarship holder...

The day of our new UG scholarship holder has what feels like 48 hours: She not only studies at Paderborn University, but also at Bielefeld University, is involved in the student council, tutors pupils from her former school and cultivates her passion for Polish culture. Wiktoria Skierka's everyday life is full - there is not much time to relax.

Multiple passions shape her studies

The 20-year-old has been passionate about history for many years - first in the advanced course at the Gymnasium and now in her studies at UPB. Three semesters ago, she began studying history and Spanish, because a foreign language was a must. But she is not only at the university to study, as a member of the student council for teachers she takes on various tasks, supports the first semester students during the orientation week or answers students' questions about their studies.

At the same time, she is a secondary student of law at the University of Bielefeld. She had harboured this dream for a long time, but for a long time she had a lot of respect for it: "I don't like to break things off, I want to finish everything. But then I thought I'd just give it a try. So far it's worked out quite well." Later in her career, she would prefer to combine both courses of study.

"Every day a good deed"

This motto is firmly part of the student's everyday life. Even in her school days, she gave her seat on the bus to an elderly lady every morning; they still greet each other today. She also gives free tutoring at her former school - preferably in history and Spanish.

Her home country Poland is especially close to her heart: Wiktoria Skierka is involved with Polish exchange students, accompanies school excursions to Radom and helps with translations. In conversation, it becomes clear again and again that interpersonal relationships, both among friends and in the family, are important to her; material things are not so important.

Universitätsgesellschaft Paderborn and Stiftung Studienfonds OWL for the OWL region

The Foundation Study Fund OWL is a cooperation project of the five universities in East Westphalia-Lippe that is unique in Germany. The foundation aims to provide sustainable support for students in East Westphalia-Lippe and to build up a network between sponsors and sponsored students in order to strengthen OWL as a university and business location in the long term. The University Society has been supporting these goals for four years now. To date, a total of eleven scholarships have been awarded to students.