Without the ISA, I wouldn’t have been able to study architecture at Alanus. And today, through the ISA, I give back what I have received myself. In this way, I make it possible for others to pursue their studies.
I had already enjoyed acting a lot during school. That’s why I started training as an actor after graduating from secondary school. It was during this time that I first encountered questions like “Why do we do art, theater and acting at all? Isn’t it strange to watch people create things for other people?”. Especially in plays that deal with topics like revolution and death, I noticed in the creative discussion with the director Bardia Rousta, who had fled Iran as a teenager, how different the view can be – acting sometimes has a view from an “Ivory tower”, in the sense where you can find yourself in your own bubble. As a result, I wanted to educate myself more deeply and began studying Philosophy, Arts and Social Entrepreneurship at Alanus University of Applied Sciences. There, too, we dealt with social issues, such as the reason for art’s existence, post-growth theory, or the works of Theodor Adorno. In a nutshell: How do we actually want to live together, how do we get there, and how should the space for this be designed? I had found the focus point within my interests, transformation projects and their design, and switched to studying architecture. There I could combine the artistic with the social and design processes of change and the spaces in which they take place.
In my studies, the drafts we could make every semester were an absolute highlight! The professors always catered to us and what was on our minds. I also have very positive memories of the excursions with the teachers. For example, we went to Vienna and created many sketches in small groups. The close relationship with the professors also made a lot possible – in general, relationships with each other were very important.
That’s why I would have liked to study longer than the standard period of study – for example, twice the number of semesters instead of six, in order to have more time for courses with artists and sculptures. Unfortunately, this was a financial question – and so I completed the degree in three years.
Alanus is a small, family-oriented university with monthly tuition fees that allow for small course sizes and the free-use studio. However, my family could not cover these tuition fees or my living expenses. Therefore, I needed other financial support in addition to my job. I came across CHANCEN eG at the open day at Alanus and consciously applied for its funding. It was and is important to me that it is more than just a loan: through the principle of solidarity, you give back what you have received yourself. I want to be part of a community of solidarity because I see that as a good and important foundation – if things go well for me, I pay back more and can thus make it possible for others to study. It also takes away the anxiety of my professional future: I can focus on research, for example, and not worry about a fixed repayment. This flexibility was very important to me, in addition to solidarity.
Are you interested in studying at Alanus University of Applied Sciences? Here you can find the conditions for financing through CHANCEN eG.
