1. W&L’s Mary Kate Murschell ’25 Earns U.S. Teaching Assistantship to Austria

W&L's Mary Kate Murschell '25 Earns U.S. Teaching Assistantship to Austria Murschell will teach English in Austria before working for an accounting firm in Philadelphia.

By Emily Innes
July 10, 2025

Washington and Lee University graduate Mary Kate Murschell '25 has been awarded a U.S. Teaching Assistantship (USTA) to teach English in Austria. At W&L, Murschell double majored in accounting and German. Murschell is from Haddonfield, New Jersey, and graduated from Haddonfield Memorial High School.

The USTA Program is administered by Fulbright Austria on behalf of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research. Teaching assistants are placed in secondary schools throughout Austria to teach English language and linguistic skills, serve as informal cultural ambassadors and promote mutual understanding between the United States and Canada.

Murschell will be teaching at two schools in Liezen and Rottenmann and is looking forward to fully immersing herself in Austrian culture while strengthening her German language skills. Murschell is eager to contribute to the language learning journeys of Austrian students because studying German has led her to grow in unexpected ways.

"Pursuing German has led to much of my academic, personal and intellectual growth," Murschell said. "Participating in the USTA Program allows me to continue that growth and help inspire that growth for students learning English in Austria."

Murschell views the USTA as the culmination of a language learning journey that began in sixth grade, when the language teachers visited her class to give brief introductions and Murschell chose German simply because she liked that teacher's presentation best.

"I had no idea then how much that small decision would impact my life, sparking a passion for the German language and culture that has stayed with me ever since," she said.

Upon learning about the USTA Program during her sophomore year at W&L, Murschell began preparing to apply; she continued her German classes beyond the requirements for the major, took an education class to learn about foreign language pedagogy, taught German at a local elementary school through Languages for Rockbridge and maintained leadership roles around campus.

"It is very rewarding to have my work and dedication pay off," Murschell said. "I am eternally grateful for the people who have supported me along the away, especially the German teachers, professors and teaching assistants who deepened my passion for German over the years. I am also deeply thankful for my parents who offered unwavering support along the way and for all the friends I have made through German and have made this journey extra special."

Murschell is also passionate about participating in the cultural exchange the USTA facilitates, building upon the experiences she had while taking the Traces of Empire Spring Term Abroad class during her sophomore year, taught by Debra Prager, associate professor of German and department head. The class was based in Graz, Austria, and students spent most of the term living with host families. Murschell recalls knowing she had to "get comfortable with being uncomfortable" and approached the class as an opportunity to broaden her perspective and prepare herself for future situations where she might feel out of her comfort zone. For Murschell, studying in Austria taught her how to adjust to new situations, strengthened her German skills and understanding of Austrian culture and helped her build relationships with her host family and classmates.

"One of my core memories was hiking for four hours up snowy mountains to a lodge in the Alps, where, at the top, a few of my classmates and I had a fun snowball fight," Murschell said. "It's in moments like these where I find myself reflecting on how grateful I am to have made that decision at age 11 to study German."

Murschell credits her time at W&L with helping her develop her leadership skills and build her confidence in being a leader, and she appreciates the support and mentorship she received from her professors. She is grateful to Prager, her German adviser, for pushing her to new limits and teaching her to not be afraid of making mistakes, and to Paul Youngman, interim dean of the College and professor of German, for supporting her academic pursuits and her USTA application process.

At W&L, Murschell held leadership positions in the German Club, the First-Year Orientation Committee and Alpha Delta Pi sorority. She also participated in W&L's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program during Winter Term 2025, taught German to local fifth graders through the Languages for Rockbridge Program and worked as a student assistant in W&L's Office of Admissions.

With the USTA, Murschell will depart in September 2025 for her nine-month program. Upon completion of the program, Murschell will begin working as a tax associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers accounting firm in Philadelphia for state and local tax consulting.

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