The Bachelor’s Student Championing Community Values and Social Responsibility

A quick decision that changed her life, an altruistic mindset, and an openness to new ideas. Paula Grau is a bachelor’s student in her second year at WHU. She is currently studying for her Bachelor of International Business Administration program. However, studying at WHU was a last-minute decision, discovering the topic of business administration very shortly before the application deadline. “I was looking at many different options at the time,” she explains. “I learned about business administration a month before the deadline, and the potential job opportunities were interesting. I hadn’t even considered a private university until that point. But I looked on the website, and I got this strong sense of community and internationality, and I knew it was the right choice for me.”

Paula is active in her studies at WHU, seemingly lapping up any opportunity to gain more life experience. With internships already under her belt, including those in financial services and consulting, Paula understands the benefits of such experiences. “All of my internships have been very different from each other. They offer you a chance to develop personally and learn new skills but also put what you learn in class into practice. It’s a steep learning curve; you go from being on campus with the support of your classmates to being alone and tackling new tasks and situations. It’s helped me a lot in figuring out what I want to do for a career, as there are so many options when studying business administration.”

A conscientious student, Paula is aware that she was fortunate that her parents could support her decision to attend a private business school in Germany, where public universities are primarily free. Her strong sense of social responsibility led her to join the WHU student club WHUSH, which organizes and participates in several charitable projects, including helping children worldwide access quality education. Paula was keen to continue such work as students can only participate in these clubs for one year before the next cohort takes over. This was how she found herself as part of Project Access. The organization offers mentorship and support to disadvantaged students to reduce the barriers they face when applying to top universities.

“Four other students from WHU and I are program officers with Project Access. We help with management tasks and take care of university contacts and contact with students. Our combined roles mean we are responsible for helping to establish the project in the region as it is well-known in the UK and USA, but not so much here in Germany. Volunteering with them aligns with my values as I believe in leveraging our personal skills and advantages to help those not so fortunate. To help others reach their full potential. After WHUSH, I didn’t want to stop doing such important work, so I needed to stay active this way.”

Outside of volunteering, Paula also gives back to the WHU community. Finding her strengths were in financial subjects, she has been a tutor during special sessions that help students get to grips with more complicated topics. “University can be quite overwhelming as the concept differs greatly from school. Even if you were a good student at school, it doesn’t always translate to university and can be frustrating for many students. It’s a very different learning style; a topic you would have learned over weeks at school is a single lecture at university. So, these tutorials are prepared by students who break down the lecture content and make it more digestible, which helps other students who might be struggling with the concepts. It’s really rewarding.”

For Paula, the next step is broadening her horizons internationally. With her upcoming semester abroad in Singapore, we discuss what it means to her to experience different cultures and places. “The business world is becoming increasingly international, so it’s unavoidable. But on a personal level, I think it also enriches you. Meeting people from other countries and stepping outside your comfort zone and bubble is important. It helps you become more well-rounded when considering things from different perspectives and getting a more nuanced view of the world.”

She explains more about another ongoing project that she is part of, which offers tutoring to young adults at a local clinic who suffer from neurological disorders or brain injuries to help them regain independence. But what does she see for her future after graduation? “I always envied the students who knew from the beginning what path they wanted their career to take. I’m still open to possibilities, so maybe I’ll do another internship in finance, and for sure, I’ll do a master’s degree, too. I want to develop as a person before I start working full-time.”

Where will your bachelor’s degree at WHU take you? Find out more today