Elena Weiser, a master’s degree student in the International Business degree program at Mainz University of Applied Sciences, has been named Student of the Year at Coastal Carolina University (CCU) in South Carolina. The 23-year-old excelled with an impeccable grade point average (GPA 4.0/grade 1.0), exceptional dedication, and teaching activities on campus.
As a teaching assistant, the Mannheim native taught more than 50 students in the “Academic Improvement” course – with consistently positive feedback. She regularly posed critical questions in class, actively sought out a dialog with lecturers, and was present at almost all university events. In addition to her degree program, she was also involved in a regional non-profit organization. “That was the best decision I could have made,” she says looking back on her year of study in the USA. “I learned an incredible amount about American culture, the way things work – and myself.”
After completing her bachelor’s degree in business administration at the University of Mannheim, Weiser switched to Mainz University of Applied Sciences. Her goal? More experience abroad. “My semester abroad in New York during my bachelor’s degree inspired me. I really wanted to go back to the USA,” she says. The integrated double degree in the master's degree program made it possible to do so. Offering a year on the Atlantic coast at a renowned business school, CCU was the obvious choice.
Elena Weiser will complete her degree program in the fall and start her career in strategic management consulting in Luxembourg in October 2025.
The Mannheim native of Greek descent is a prime example of how international degree programs open doors – and how academic dedication can become a career opportunity.
