Marcel Colmorgen im Hörsaalgang ©Leuphana/Marvin Sokolis
"The Deutschlandstipendium opens doors for me that would otherwise have remained closed."

At first, Marcel Colmorgen was worried that he would feel lost at university: "I'm the first person in my family to study. Hence, I had a lot of respect for the academic world," the 25-year-old recalls. But thanks to the Leuphana Semester, the joint introduction of all first-semester students to academic studies, and the support of tutors, he quickly found his way into everyday university life. Marcel Colmorgen now helps first-year students himself: He is a tutor for the introductory business administration exam and also a student assistant at the Chair of Start-up Management. He is in his fourth semester of business administration and is studying the digital business minor: "During my training as an industrial clerk, I was advised to definitely deal with the future topic of digitalisation during my studies. The minor is very interactive and we have already heard some guest lectures from personalities from the business world," the student reports.

After graduating from high school, Marcel Colmorgen first worked for a large manufacturer of medical and safety technology. Meanwhile, he was already considering a suitable university: "The business studies programme at Leuphana has a very good reputation. But I also liked the campus and Lüneburg very much. That's when the decision was made," the student recalls. The Lübeck native often sees his hometown again as a volunteer referee. He has been active in football for many years and completed his training as a referee at the DFB. He whistles senior games all over northern Germany and also trained referees himself on a voluntary basis for several years. Marcel Colmorgen has to manage his workload well: "I don't really put anything off, I get it done straight away. This also explains his consistently high performance in his studies.

The good grades, the voluntary commitment and the educational biography convinced the jury of the Deutschlandstipendium. This means that the student not only receives financial support of 300 euros a month. He was also able to build up a network. "My sponsor and mentor is Leuphana alumnus Florian Bontrup. He now runs the e-health start-up Docyet in Leipzig. If the Corona pandemic allows it, I can imagine doing an internship there," says Marcel Colmorgen. Despite the restrictions, mentor and mentee are in touch: "For example, I was already able to interview Florian Bontrup for a term paper and there is also contact with the marketing management of Docyet. The Deutschlandstipendium opens doors for me that would otherwise have remained closed," says Marcel Colmorgen.

Funding information

DOCYET is a startup in the healthcare sector that was founded in 2017 by Leuphana graduate Florian Bontrup in Leipzig. The company develops digital, AI-based applications and e-health solutions that guide patients through the healthcare system to make better health decisions. Hospitals and insurance companies in particular are among Docyet's customers. Bontrup's commitment to the Deutschlandstipendium he explains thus:

"I would like to support students at Leuphana with the scholarship, because I know how much this financial support can help them cope with their studies. Students from the Faculty of Management and Technology who already have relevant work experience are also attractive junior staff for me as an employer for my young company."

With the Deutschlandstipendium, Leuphana University Lüneburg supports selected students with particularly good performance who have attracted attention through sustained social commitment or have had to overcome special hurdles in their educational biography. The Deutschlandstipendium is an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Scholarship holders receive monthly financial support of 300 euros for at least two semesters. Students from all schools can apply for the winter semester 2021/22 from 1 to 30 September 2021. Students can already find the current call for applications and FAQs at www.leuphana.de/deutschlandstipendium.