BCoE student honored by new SEC scholarship
November 6, 2015
STARKVILLE, Miss. – A senior chemical engineering major is spending this semester in Europe after being selected for a Southeastern Conference scholarship.
Hattiesburg, Mississippi, native Brandon Baxter was chosen as one of two MSU students to receive the first Dr. Pepper SEC Education Abroad Award. Since September, Baxter has been residing in Munich, Germany.
As an official SEC sponsor, Dr. Pepper collaborated on the 2015 SEC scholarship by donating $100,000 to a two-year education abroad program for undergraduate students of the conference’s 14 universities. The recipients of the award receive $2,000, which aids in the expenses of their trip.
“Spending six months in Munich is expensive, and I have to pay for everything, so the award is a lifesaver in that I can enjoy my time over here a little more with the scholarship money I was awarded,” Baxter said.
After only a month abroad, Baxter has found that this experience has already changed his life in many ways.
“Being in Germany has taught me great lessons in communication. I rely much more on people here to help me get things done, and I have to ask someone for help probably once a day. It’s also a great experience being around people who are so different and who have had completely different life experiences than me,” Baxter said.
He also said that because of the country’s differences, simple tasks such as commuting, grocery shopping and communicating with others are much more difficult.
For Baxter, choosing where he wanted to study was an easy decision. After researching which country would best fit his educational goals, he found that Germany is considered an excellent place for engineering study and that Munich is included among the world’s five most livable cities.
“I knew that I wanted to go to Europe and try to learn a new language. On top of that, my grandmother grew up in Germany, so I have some roots here that I am interested in exploring,” Baxter said.
Once immersed into the German culture, Baxter said that it’s the little things that have made the largest difference to him.
“Everything works so well,” he said. “Buses and trains are always on time and people dress nicely and are polite. The city of Munich overall has such a systematic way of living day-to-day, but maybe it’s the engineer in me that enjoys that.”
Baxter said that he has also enjoyed Munich’s beautiful scenery and architecture, as well as it’s close proximity to other European countries.
“I’m just a few hours away from amazing places like Austria, Switzerland and France, so I’ll definitely be making weekend trips to other countries,” he said.
Baxter believes that the experience he is gaining while in Germany will be something that he would never have received if he had not made the decision to study abroad.
“If you want to do it, you have commit to it and make the sacrifices,” Baxter said. “In the end, the things you sacrifice will never amount to the experiences you receive studying abroad.”
For more information on the SEC’s Dr. Pepper Education Abroad Awards and how to apply, visit http://international.msstate.edu/abroad.
For more information on Baxter and his experience abroad, follow his blog at baxtermunichblog.BlogSpot.com.
The BCoE is online at bagley.msstate.edu.
By: Logan Treadaway