Lea is the first in her family to study: she has been enrolled for a Bachelor's degree in Social Work at Fachhochschule Dortmund since the 2020 summer semester. The 20-year-old doesn't make a big fuss about it: "It's nothing spectacular for me. In general, I never really differentiated between training and studying when I was making my plans - the decisive question for me was: what professional activity is behind it?"
Lea had a clear idea of her professional future earlier than most. As a media scout, she advised her classmates on social media from secondary school onwards and acted as a role model for younger people. "At that point, I realized that I wanted to work with people later on. I wanted to be a part of their lives in such a way that I could make a difference," says Lea, describing her motivation, which is still valid today. As clear as her general direction was, she found it difficult to make a concrete decision. Her personality is characterized by a wide range of interests and enthusiasm, as well as extraordinary performance: Lea completed her Abitur at Dortmund's Heinrich-Böll-Gesamtschule with the top grade of 1.0 - all paths were open to her.
"I thought very specifically about my future with my TalentScouts and received a lot of input. They were also always a great source of emotional support - even in times when things didn't work out the way I wanted them to."
In her search for guidance, the talented, determined pupil found the advice offered by TalentScouting just what she was looking for. She was one of the first at her school to attend the consultation hours and became aware of the RuhrTalente student scholarship program, where she successfully applied and regularly took part in workshops. "Through the discussions with my TalentScouts Sonja and Eva, I thought very specifically about my future and received a lot of input. They were also always a great source of emotional support - even in times when things didn't work out the way I wanted them to."
Teacher training: an incredibly long way into the profession
One such time was the winter of 2019/20, when Lea realized that the teacher training course she had just started at Ruhr University Bochum was not the right thing for her. Although she was coping well with the course material and self-organization, the path to a career seemed incredibly long: Bachelor's, Master's - at least five years in total, marked by high expectations of herself. "I would like to have a goal in mind that is relatively close, that I can work towards. Then I can decide whether I want to continue studying or start my career with a first degree," says Lea, giving an insight into her mindset. What has remained unchanged during this time is the desire to develop people's personalities.
Social work: a new start at Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts
It was TalentScout Eva who pointed Lea in this situation towards the Social Work study program at Fachhochschule Dortmund. Lea wasted no time and arranged a three-month internship to fulfill the admission requirements for the Bachelor's degree. "This time was very valuable for my upcoming studies. The internship confirmed that I am doing something I enjoy with the new study program and where I see my professional future." Lea also liked the prospect of switching to the smaller university of applied sciences: "Everything is more personal here, I like that. I have the feeling that I have more control over everything here."
"At the university of applied sciences, everything is more personal, I like that. I have the feeling that I have more control over everything here."
So it wasn't difficult for Lea to draw a line under her first degree: "I never saw it as a problem myself. I just want to do something that I'm reasonably sure will fulfill me in the long term." The practical component at the university of applied sciences offers Lea the opportunity to explore potential career fields during her studies - including an internship semester. The talented student has a few ideas about where she could go in the future: Lea finds both school social work with close contact to pupils and corporate social work or a job at the youth welfare office exciting. She is happy to have arrived at university with a clearly defined goal that is worth working hard for.