The scholarship grants time
When Chidera Abonyi finished his undergraduate studies in Nigeria, there was a severe economic crisis. He lost his savings. His big dream was to study Mechanical Engineering in Germany. "I was excited about the country, with its strong research and industry," he says. Thus, he applied to TUM and for a Deutschlandstipendium scholarship – successfully. Abonyi has been involved socially for a long time: In his home country, he initiated "Climate Change Clubs" to raise awareness for the topic of climate change among primary school pupils. "For the jury, it is important what kind of a person you are and what challenges you take on," Abonyi says.
If you want to ask Neslihan Ülkü Şahin what she does to show commitment, you should take some time. The 22-year-old, who is from Munich, is a Master's student of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, chairwoman of a student initiative, and she is also involved in numerous other initiatives and mosque communities. In workshops, she teaches young people how they can reduce plastic consumption and their carbon footprint. Together with the Bavarian Red Cross, she runs a regular blood donation campaign, coordinates book donations, and helps out at a retirement home. "For me, it is not only important to meet other people in everyday life, but also to engage in meaningful activities with them. This also enables networking on a more profound level," she says. The Deutschlandstipendium allows her to take time for this: "The scholarship enables me to pursue my time-consuming studies and use the rest of my energy for my voluntary commitment," Şahin says. Otherwise, she would have to work part-time to finance her living expenses.
Entrepreneur Roland Lachner supports young talents at his alma mater as a sponsor of the Deutschlandstipendium. (Image: Astrid Eckert / TUM)
A cycle of give and take
The scholarship holders meet up at regular get-togethers or become active together, for example in the "Talente spenden" initiative. Once a year, supporters and scholarship holders get to know each other at a festive event.
Abonyi gets emotional talking about this: "In the first year, my sponsor was an entrepreneur who decided he wanted to support me – just like that. For me, somebody like that is a role model," he says. The name of this role model is Roland Lacher. The 78-year-old entrepreneur is a TUM alumnus; a mechanical engineer who is considered a pioneer of the DVD technology. "My parents were of the opinion that if you are a student, you shouldn't have to work on the side – to ensure that you can focus better, even outside your studies," he says.
