Celebrating Frankfurt School’s scholarship holders

This year, Frankfurt School – with the generous support of numerous donors – awarded 360 scholarships to its students and celebrated its traditional Scholarship Award Ceremony on 7 November in the Audimax. After his welcoming speech, Professor Nils Stieglitz, President and CEO of Frankfurt School, presented the first scholarship of the evening, the President's Scholarship.

During the subsequent panel discussion, which was moderated by Angelika Werner, Vice President Strategic Relations at Frankfurt School, four scholarship donors explained their motivation: Lena Fessler, FS alumna, Head of Strategy & Business Management Real Estate & Project Finance at Landesbank Baden-Württemberg and Board Member of Frankfurt School Alumni e.V., Andy Hamer, FS alumnus and Partner and Head of Research at Hudson Square Investment Management, Professor Klaus-Peter Müller, Honorary Chairman of the Frankfurt School Board of Trustees, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Commerzbank Foundation and Honorary Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Commerzbank, Michael Pfaue, FS alumnus and Head of the Trust Office, Deutsche Pfandbrief AG.

Lena Fessler, FS alumna, Head of Strategy & Business Management Real Estate & Project Finance at Landesbank Baden-Württemberg and Board Member of Frankfurt School Alumni e.V.:
"We, the Alumni Association, want to make a difference and enable young talents to start their studies independent of financial backgrounds. The Frankfurt School community and its spirit is really something special. It's fantastic to see how the university has grown in recent years and yet has retained its family character. Frankfurt School feels like a family."

Following the panel discussion, Carsten Vogel, Development Director at Frankfurt School and moderator of the evening, presented the various scholarship programmes. The scholarships were presented in person by the donors. Klaus-Peter Müller kicked things off with the scholarships he initiated. Simon Dörr, FS alumnus and founder and Managing Partner of DTE Consult, presented the Deutschlandstipendien on behalf of the large number of respective donors. The DAAD scholarships were followed by the presentation of the FIRM scholarships by Dr Carsten Lehr, Managing Director of the Frankfurt Institute for Risk Management and Regulation (FIRM), and the presentation of the ARDIAN and Diversity Scholarships. The newly introduced Lincoln International Scholarship was presented by Simone Wirth, European Head of Talent at Lincoln International. Finally, the Frankfurt School Scholarships were presented by Professor Christian Landau, Vice President Degree Programmes.

Victoria Kehrberg, a Master in Management student, thanked all donors on behalf of the scholarship holders in an inspiring speech:
„As scholarship recipients, we are role models embodying the values of Frankfurt School, demonstrating integrity and respect, and dedicating ourselves to leadership, supporting our peers, and fostering an environment that encourages growth and excellence. The support of the donors has allowed me and many others sitting in the Audimax to pursue our goals and to study alongside some of the most brilliant and inspiring people I've ever met. Most importantly, it allowed me to form lifelong friendships. Your generosity has changed our lives. The scholarships motivate us to give back, to become donors ourselves after building our careers and achieving our goals. It's a way to complete the circle and ensure that future students have the same opportunities we've been so fortunate to receive.”

In her closing remarks, Angelika Werner echoed these thanks to the donors on behalf of Frankfurt School and called on the scholarship holders to get involved in the Frankfurt School community.