The German Section, with the support of the Schröder Fund, is delighted to announce the appointment of eight new Schröder Ambassadors. The new team in 2024-25 is made up of first-year, second-year and fourth-year students: Rebecca Rae, Megan Hampton, Isadora Watson, Max Holden, Gabrielle Nkem-Ajoku, Brénainn Sheppard, Oliver Merriman and Imogen Barnes.

The new Ambassadors will be sharing their passion for German language and culture with school students up and down the country, encouraging applications to university courses, and especially to Cambridge. The German Section at Cambridge welcomes applicants who want to take up German from scratch as well as those who are currently studying German to A-level or equivalent.

Rebecca Rae

Hallo! I'm Rebecca, a first-year AMES student studying German and ab-initio Arabic at Selwyn College. Alongside language learning, I have enjoyed the Introduction to German Studies paper which has given me the opportunity to look not only at literature but also history, thought, film and linguistics. I hope as a Schröder Ambassador to promote the opportunity to combine German with a Middle Eastern language and dispel common misconceptions regarding languages degrees.

Megan Hampton

Hi, I'm Megan and I'm in my second year studying History and German at Gonville and Caius College. This year I am taking wide-ranging German papers on history, thought, and modern culture, which are enriched by my history paper on violence in twentieth-century Europe. As an ambassador I want to show how rewarding studying history and languages together can be, and I hope to encourage more applicants to consider HML!

Isadora Watson

Hello! I'm Isadora, a second-year French and German student at Peterhouse. This year I am taking papers on 19th-century and medieval literature. As an ambassador, I am very excited to connect with fellow German enthusiasts — I hope to show how diverse and rewarding the field can be!

Max Holden

Hi, I’m Max, a second year German and ab initio Portuguese student at Jesus College. This year I am taking papers in Germanic and Ibero-Romance Linguistics. As a Schröder Ambassador, I am particularly keen to get involved in outreach events in schools and to promote the study of German in higher education. I am also looking forward to the Cambridge Undergraduate Conference in German Studies, for which I have taken on a schools liaison role.

Gabrielle Nkem-Ajoku

Hello! I’m Gabrielle, a second year at King’s College, studying German and Spanish. This year I am taking a paper on German history and thought, as well as one on modern German culture. As an ambassador, I look forward to spreading awareness about the breadth of the German course at Cambridge and sharing my passion for languages. I am excited to work on outreach, and show prospective students the unique opportunities this subject offers, regardless of previous exposure to the language!

Brénainn Sheppard

Hi, I'm Brénainn and I'm a second year studying German and Italian. I really enjoyed the breadth of my course last year, when I had the chance to study history, art, literature, and film, but this year I’m focussing on linguistics. I hope to encourage other linguists, especially those from the north of England and from disadvantaged backgrounds, to consider studying German at university.

Oliver Merriman

Hello, I’m Ollie, a finalist in German and Spanish at Gonville and Caius College. I’m focussing this year on modern German history, writing a dissertation on cultural memory and collective identity in Berlin. Studying German at Cambridge has been a truly wonderful experience. Having started learning the language in my first year, I’m especially excited about bringing in students who may not have had the chance to study German at school (it’s never too late to pick up a new language!).

Imogen Barnes

Hi! I’m Imi, and I’m a fourth-year German and French student at Downing. I’ve just returned from my year abroad, part of which I spent in Berlin, studying at the Humboldt University and interning with an arts editorial consultancy. This year, I’m taking a paper on memory and identity in modern Germany and am very excited to be joining the Schröder Ambassadors. In my role, I hope to contribute to the demystification of our subject and promote the modernity and flexibility of a language degree at Cambridge.