From Study Abroad to Teaching Abroad

After Klara Pecher ’26 walks across the commencement stage earning Bachelor of Arts degrees in German studies and anthropology, she’s headed straight for Austria, where she will be an English teaching assistant through a program administered by the Austrian Fulbright Commission, fully funded by the Austrian government. The exciting first job grew out of Pecher’s experiences at Washington College, both through the German language skills she developed in class and a life-changing study abroad opportunity.

Pecher has developed a passion for social justice, activism, and community engagement throughout her time at Washington. These pursuits largely developed in Pecher's junior year, when her academic and personal interests took her abroad to study at the University of Tübingen in Germany. Not only did she further immerse herself in the language and culture, Pecher credits her time abroad with being a transformative personal experience that fostered her interest in activism. 

“Activism isn't as scary as it needs to seem,” Pecher said. “For me, everything new is scary, so I have to put myself into a lot of random situations so that I can actually do the things that I want to do. If I hadn't been in Germany, I don't know if I would have been involved in all this or if my interests would have grown.” 

While abroad, she encountered politically engaged communities and participated in demonstrations for the first time—an experience that shifted her academic and career goals. 

“I learned so much about myself when I studied abroad,” Pecher said. “It helped me find where I want to be in the world and what I want to do as a person.”

That exploration continued during her senior year, when Pecher unified her interest in social movements with her two Senior Capstone Experiences (SCEs) in anthropology and German studies: one on how craft can be a tool for activism and the other on Germany's “Fridays for Future” youth climate movement. 

“I wanted to combine my interest into the things that I'm talking about, and I'm really interested in crafting and craft has a lot of cultural and, in particular, has a lot of history within change, social justice, and resistance,” Pecher said. 

Pecher's anthropology SCE explores how crafting serves as a gateway for people seeking to highlight important causes and foster community and solidarity amid socially challenging times. Throughout the year, she not only conducted interviews with multiple people involved in crafting for resistance, but also facilitated a craft project in which students and faculty created small banners responding to ongoing immigration issues in the United States. At the completion of the banner, participants were asked to fill out a survey in which they reported on their experience and how likely they'd be to use craft again in their activism.

Her German studies SCE shifts focus internationally. Pecher examines the impact of the youth-led climate movement “Fridays for Future” in Germany, analyzing its influence across political, media, and youth spaces. The movement, inspired by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, gained significant traction in Germany, where young organizers shaped the national conversation on climate change through large-scale demonstrations. 

Pecher entered college intending to pursue a future career in paleoanthropology, but her academic path evolved as she explored new disciplines and experiences. Courses in anthropology, along with hands-on internships and research opportunities, broadened her perspective and shifted her focus toward social justice and human-centered work.    

Beyond the classroom, Pecher found ways to connect these interests across disciplines. In an anthropology course on hope, she merged her academic work with her dance minor, creating a final performance centered on community, connection, and alternative futures.

For Pecher these experiences reinforced a central belief that change is built through collective action.

“Hope is not optimism,” she said. “It's something that requires action, so that your actions can create change.”

At Washington, that sense of possibility was fostered by an education that encouraged exploration across disciplines. Her experiences in Germany, her research, and her work across campus have helped her discover what matters to her most: community, creativity, and meaningful engagement with others. For Pecher college has not simply been about developing skills for a career but also about her growth as a person. 

“I was able to do everything I wanted. I have a really broad education now. I know a lot of things that I wouldn't have learned otherwise,” Pecher said. “When I came to college, I didn't feel ready to live in the world, and now I feel like I'm almost ready.”

—Andraya Sudler '26