Students enjoy hands-on learning, experiences through communication class in Germany

Students enjoy hands-on learning, experiences through communication class in Germany

September 24, 2026

More than two dozen students at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater moved their classroom across the Atlantic Ocean over the summer for real-world learning and cultural immersion that produced short documentary films - and memories for a lifetime.

UW-Whitewater students traveled with communication department faculty Amal Ibrahim and Susan Wildermuth to Germany from May 25-June 11, extending a semester-long introductory film class with a capstone project titled Germany Unscripted: Film & Digital Storytelling Abroad.

After landing in Munich, participants traveled all over the European country for cultural immersion and hands-on study. The trip culminated in Wiesbaden - the capital of the German state of Hesse - where Warhawks collaborated with students from RhineMain University of Applied Sciences.

UW-Whitewater students pose in Munich, Germany, during their trip to complete a capstone project for a semester-long introductory film course in the summer of 2026.

The course required students to immerse themselves in German culture, reflect on their experiences, and interact with others on the way to completing their group projects. Checkpoints along the way included journaling, discussion boards, and storytelling.

Students had to get creative to interact with native Germans and gain their permission to be interviewed, using Google Translate and other resources to communicate. Ibrahim and Wildermuth made arrangements with RhineMain and rented equipment for the class. The rest was up to the students.

"This is the definition of hands-on learning," said Jared Fuls, a communication (electronic media) and film studies major from Kronenwetter. "We were thrown into another country with basic information on how to film, and then you just kind of go out there. All we had to do was press record on the camera."

Transfer student finds belonging in another travel study

Fuls had previously traveled to Los Angeles for a UW-Whitewater faculty-led travel study and was intrigued by the opportunity as he had never been out of the country. He did not know anyone who was traveling in the group, but his worries were quickly alleviated after engaging with classmates in the airport before departure.

"I knew I had to find people to interact with," he said. "Luckily I found a good group, and we spent the entire trip laughing and making jokes and hanging out with one another. I still talk to them after the trip."

Fuls, who has one class to complete before graduating this December, decided to transfer to UW-Whitewater after one year at another institution without touring the campus.

"I had heard about their program with film studies and video production, and I knew it was good, so I just decided to transfer, and I don't regret it at all," he said. "This has been the best decision of my life to come here. I've met some amazing people who I will be friends with for the rest of my life."

First-gen Warhawk follows passion for film

For Armando Hernandez, a first-generation college student from Beloit, going to Germany was an opportunity to dig deep into his career aspiration of filming documentaries and to see a new country.

A communication major with emphasis in electronic media, Hernandez enjoyed building relationships with Ibrahim, Wildermuth, and his classmates. His connections to them encouraged him to refresh other connections in his personal life.

"If I had any other classmates other than the ones I had on this trip, it would've been a much different experience," Hernandez said. "Everyone has their own experiences and view on the world, so seeing that and hearing that from the other students in the class, it was very inciteful."

A nontraditional student who worked for five years before returning to school, Hernandez was motivated to join the Warhawk family by his brother, Jacob Foulker, a UW-Whitewater graduate. He started his academic journey on the Rock County campus and was motivated to go into film on the Whitewater campus after taking motion capture performance and podcasting classes with URock lecturer Trevor Rees.

Illinois native leans into comfort in traveling

Emily Coughlin, an art major with emphasis in graphic design, travels in Germany during a trip to complete a capstone project for a semester-long introductory film course in the summer of 2026.

Emily Coughlin, an art major with emphasis in graphic design, was motivated to take the trip as a passionate traveler and by her mother, who traveled abroad as a student.

A Libertyville, Illinois, native who was drawn to UW-Whitewater for its award-winning Center for Students with Disabilities, Coughlin lauded the architecture and food in Germany. She overcame her tendency to bring too much luggage - "I'm such an overpacker" - and "found her people" during the trip.

"I was worried about not being in a friend group, and then I made a lot of friends, which I'm really thankful for," Coughlin said.

On track to graduate in May, she enrolled at UW-Whitewater after learning about the support systems in place for students.

"The campus size is perfect - everything is walking distance, not too short and not too far away," she said. "They have great programs for tutoring … they're there to help you if you need anything. It's also less complicated than going to a bigger school where there's more options."

Hands-on experience makes memories

UW-Whitewater students pose in Germany during their trip to complete a capstone project for a semester-long introductory film course in the summer of 2026.

Whether it was a rigorous hike up the Bavarian Alps, a leisurely tour of the Cologne Cathedral, or a simple walk on the shores of Lake Constance, all three students walked away with memories for a lifetime and a new way of thinking about present-day life.

"You never know what you'll experience," Hernandez said. "You may hate it, you may like it, but you'll never know unless you actually take it."

Topics for student projects included the automotive industry, food, and communication through the lens of native Germans and in comparison to American practices and perspectives.

Students who were on the trip will present their creative works at this fall's University Research, Innovative, and Creative Activities Undergraduate Research Day, which is set for Nov. 19 in the James R. Connor University Center.