Student wins prestigious international fellowship

Ethan Conley has felt a passion for German language and culture most of his life. Now he will get a chance to immerse himself in the things he has learned about in books, media and the classroom.

Conley, a Central Michigan University senior, Honors student, from Hartland, Michigan, has been awarded a prestigious Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) for Young Professionals Fellowship in Germany.  

The CBYX Fellowship is a yearlong, three phase experience consisting of two months of intensive German language study, one semester of university, technical, or professional school classes, and a three-to-five-month internship in the recipient’s field.

Conley, who is majoring in international relations and German, chose to explore his interest in Germanic cultures and dialects more deeply through his Honors capstone research under the guidance of his research advisor, Daniela Richter. 

“My capstone research is on an endangered dialect of Fränkisch/Bayrisch that is endemic to my home state of Michigan,” he said. “Throughout the project I have had the opportunity to interact with some of the few remaining speakers, which has given me an insight into how their way of life and heritage impacts the way that they speak. It’s a reflection of how factors like isolation, assimilation, and movement affect human experience.”

Conley worked with the  CMU National Scholarship Program, to complete the application process. He was selected from a competitive pool of over 500 applicants to receive the CBYX Fellowship. Annually, CBYX provides cultural immersion experiences for 65 American and 65 German young professionals through study, internships, and homestays in each other’s countries. 

After spending a year in Germany, Conley hopes to further his experiences abroad as a public servant.

“My long-term goal is to serve as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer, ideally in a German-speaking environment, where I can merge my passion for language, diplomacy, and cultural exchange,” he said. “I hope to build bridges between communities and promote advocacy, representing my country while fostering mutual understanding abroad.”