15 years of Deutschlandstipendium: An evening of recognition and connection

On the evening of December 11, 2025, the University of Bremen once again celebrated. For the fifteenth time, the university honored students for their exceptional achievements and life paths. For the Alumni Association, Dr. Annette Lang from the board attended the ceremonial awarding. The association has been supporting the program for many years. This year, our board member had the opportunity to get to know one of the scholarship recipients more closely: law student Merle Holzapfel. Get to know the scholarship recipient in the following article. Read more …

A life path shaped by responsibility and determination 

That the Deutschlandstipendium not only rewards good grades but especially highlights the stories and backgrounds of the students became particularly clear that night. Among the 133 students newly funded or continued to be supported, Merle Holzapfel stands as a representative of the diversity of life paths that find recognition through the program. Her trajectory illustrates how different personal experiences, challenges, and motivations can lead to extraordinary educational paths and why the support of sponsors is so valuable. The twenty-three-year-old student comes from a rural area near Cuxhaven, where self-employment was part of daily life from an early age. Her desire to advocate for justice shaped her early on. Already in sixth grade she decided to pursue a legal career. Back then she dreamed of policing on horseback or the dog squad. “I wanted to do something with justice in view,” she recalls. She had already received study place offers from Hamburg and Münster. Nevertheless, she chose Bremen because she felt connected to her homeland and immediately found access to the city. “I am very close to nature and feel totally at home in Schwachhausen, near the Bürgerpark. And the way home is only an hour. That fits perfectly for me,” she says.

Engagement that strengthened a community 

Her community involvement began long before university. For many years she trained children in gymnastic and swimming groups and guided the children as they learned and grew. In her hometown she also founded a new rural youth group because she felt that young people lacked spaces for meeting and being together. “We wanted to give them opportunities to do something together, to support clubs, and to preserve traditions,” she says. In studies she has clear goals too. The criminal law particularly appeals to her. She can imagine working as a judge later, because she is fascinated by the balance between justice, freedom, and responsibility. Her first practical insights came from legal counseling. There she experienced how important listening and reliable legal support in personal contact can be. 

A moment that changed everything 

Unforgettable for her was the moment the scholarship offer landed in her inbox. “I sat at home on the sofa, reading my emails. When I saw ‘Congratulations,’ I could hardly believe it. I was nervous and thought for a moment that it might be a fake. I was incredibly proud and didn’t even know who to call first,” she recalls. The scholarship not only meant an important recognition, but also financially eased her study routine. Until recently she worked over twenty hours per week alongside her studies. Considering exam preparation, that would hardly have been possible. “Only through the scholarship do I now have the possibility to focus completely on my studies. That is incredibly valuable,” she says. 

Gratitude and a look ahead 

What is especially valuable to her is the ideological sponsorship that comes with the scholarship. Workshops, encounters, and insights into different professional fields open up new perspectives and make her look beyond her own day-to-day study life. The funding also gave her new self-confidence and encouraged her to take unconventional paths. In the coming year she would like to complete a six-week internship in the European Parliament in Brussels and simultaneously become more socially engaged in Bremen, perhaps at the animal shelter.

How much the support means to her is expressed clearly: “It is a huge recognition for what one has achieved over the years. Without people who want to give something back to students, none of this would be possible. I am incredibly grateful.” 

The Alumni Association also supports the Deutschlandstipendium for many years because this funding form offers young talent a real chance and thus strengthens the future of the University of Bremen. “Whoever follows this example helps to back committed students and sustainably accompany their path,” says Dr. Annette Lang with confidence and explains: “ To date, around 1,800 scholarships have been awarded to talented and dedicated students. That is an impressive figure in the 15th year equal to 1,800 opportunities. And that is why the Alumni Association will gladly continue its involvement in the future as well.”

Further information about the Deutschlandstipendium at the University of Bremen can be found here: https://www.uni-bremen.de/en/cooperation/grants-and-sponsorships/the-deutschlandstipendium
https://www.deutschlandstipendium.de/de/english-1700.html