Deutschlandstipendium: Kyra Haskins - Commitment to Sustainable Entrepreneurship

2022-07-19 Learning something in order to make a meaningful contribution - that was the decisive factor for Kyra Haskins in choosing her degree programme. The 21-year-old is studying Global Environmental and Sustainability Studies at Leuphana College and is involved in the field of "Sustainable Entrepreneurship" parallel to her studies. The company CLAGE supports the climate student through a German scholarship - it enables her to reconcile her studies and voluntary work.

Kyra Haskins ©privat
"The Deutschlandstipendium gives me the privilege of focusing even more on my studies and my commitment. In addition, the funding gives me security and also the opportunity to come into contact with other committed people," says Kyra Haskins.

"The impetus to study something in the field of sustainability came during my voluntary social year in the USA," says Kyra Haskins. After graduating from high school, she worked there for the Red Cross, including at an emergency shelter for flood victims in Missouri. "Talking to the people who had lost everything in the natural disaster was a formative experience for me," she says. The desire to go to the States for the FSJ had a family background: "My father comes from the USA and I have family there. Since I also grew up with the culture to some extent, it had been my wish for a while to live in the USA for a while."

After the formative year, she then decided to study at Leuphana, mainly because of the interdisciplinary study model and the global orientation of the programme. Her interests lie above all in topics that bring together business and sustainability - keyword: sustainable entrepreneurship. She also pursues this passion outside of her studies. On the one hand, Kyra Haskins has been involved in the student initiative "Enactus" since her first semester, including one year as a board member. In various projects, the initiative develops and promotes the establishment of self-supporting and sustainable economic concepts. One example is currently "Reframe", a project with the aim of giving people in the global south access to affordable glasses. On the other hand, Kyra Haskins works as a student assistant at the Social Change Hub (SCHuB), a contact and support point for students who are committed to social entrepreneurship.

The student became aware of the Deutschlandstipendium during her first semester. She applied three times for the funding, and the last time it "finally worked out". "The Deutschlandstipendium gives me the privilege of focusing even more on my studies and my commitment. In addition, the funding gives me security and also the opportunity to come into contact with other committed people," says Kyra Haskins. She is supported by CLAGE GmbH in Lüneburg, a manufacturer of energy-saving water heaters.

In the meantime, the student from Lüneburg by choice is in her sixth semester and is preparing her final thesis, for which she is planning a three-month research stay in the southern Caribbean. "The topic of my Bachelor's thesis arose from a seminar on climate-resilient communities in the Caribbean with Prof. Dr. Steffen Farny. Now I and three other students have the chance to do field research on site," the student explains. As part of a transdisciplinary project, she is investigating - with the involvement of the local population - possibilities for the long-term sustainable development of marine protected areas. After graduation, the 21-year-old would like to complete internships for career orientation and then follow up with a Master's degree to further deepen her knowledge.

Kyra Haskins is sponsored by CLAGE GmbH

CLAGE GmbH is a medium-sized industrial company for energy-saving water heaters based in Lüneburg. Over 280 employees are responsible for the development, production and sales of particularly energy-efficient electric instantaneous water heaters. The company is united with Leuphana in its claim to combine sustainability and action orientation, and is thus economically very successful internationally. CLAGE is one of the 100 most innovative medium-sized companies in Germany, is isocertified, owner-managed and regional. For many years, the company has been committed to supporting Leuphana and its students with funding, study projects and, since 2019, the Deutschlandstipendium. "We want to support the initiative so that talented students can also make their commitment to the region a little more independent of their financial means," says Joachim Gerdes, co-partner of CLAGE GmbH.