When she entered Georgetown, Madeleine Ott (C’26) wasn’t sure what she wanted to major in.

She tried sociology, linguistics, French, biology. But nothing seemed to stick — until she tried Advanced German.

The course connected her with her German roots, and, in the process, she found her major, international travels and a deeper understanding of herself. 

“It allowed me to tap into … [an] identity that has become even more important to me now,” she said. 

For some students, one class changes everything. Hear from Hoyas like Ott, who found one class spun their lives in a new direction.

A Class That Spoke to Her Roots

Madeleine Ott (C’26) grew up speaking German with her mother and grandparents, who were German immigrants. German was important to her roots, but it wasn’t something she envisioned majoring in in college.

When she enrolled undeclared in the College of Arts & Sciences, she began sampling all kinds of classes: sociology, linguistics, French, classics, biology. She enjoyed many of them, but nothing felt right long-term. Panic began to set in.

Her second semester, she took Advanced German, where she studied the social and cultural history of Germany during and after the Cold War. She learned to read, analyze and write academic texts and practice speaking the language. And she enjoyed learning about herself along the way.

“I hadn’t realized until then how much I wanted that opportunity [to speak German], and I wanted to dig deeper in this part of myself,” she said. “It allowed me to tap into that part of my life and my identity, [an] identity that has become even more important to me now.”