When Ashley Veazey graduated from UGA in the Spring of 2024, she left with more than a double major in German and Entertainment & Media Studies and a minor in Film Studies. She also carried with her years of leadership, cultural exchange, and creative collaboration in two academic communities that shaped her path forward. Ashley Veazey (second from the left) with some friends “During my time at UGA, I was deeply involved with both the German and Film Studies departments in Franklin College,” Veazey said. “In my four years at UGA, I helped facilitate the overlap between both departments, and we were able to bring our communities together to screen German films like M, Wings of Desire, and Ali: Fear Eats the Soul.” As president of the UGA Film Club and an officer in the German Club, she regularly attended events, conversation hours, and seminars. For Veazey, these activities weren’t just extracurricular—they were ways to connect people through art and culture. Her final semester coincided with the 2024 GSS Summer Study Abroad Program, Film, Art, and Cultural History in Berlin, co-led by Dr. Berna Gueneli and Dr. Jan Uelzmann. “This immersive experience was the perfect capstone to my undergraduate education,” she said. “It allowed me to deepen my love for both film and German language and culture while exploring Berlin’s vibrant creative scene.” From the Berlin Wall and Reichstag to the Film Museum Potsdam and the Neue Nationalgalerie, the trip also shaped her future plans. “It confirmed what I had been suspecting for some time: that I wanted to pursue graduate studies in Germany,” Veazey said. Veazey (circled) and the rest of the Summer 2024 Berlin study abroad group After a gap year, Veazey will return this fall to begin her M.A. in Producing for Film and Television at Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf in Potsdam, one of Germany’s oldest and most prestigious film schools. The two-year, practice-based program “combines creative and business-oriented training and emphasizes international collaboration across all areas of filmmaking.” Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf ©Friedemann Steinhausen Her studies will be supported by a DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) Study Scholarship for Fine Arts/Film, a competitive award for emerging filmmakers and artists. “I feel incredibly fortunate to have been selected for my top-choice program,” she said. “I’m especially grateful to Dr. Gueneli, who first introduced me to this specific scholarship opportunity. I would not have had the confidence to take these bold leaps in my education without the mentorship and encouragement of the Franklin faculty at UGA. Their support—and the community I found through my studies—played a crucial role in helping me find my creative voice.” Looking ahead, Veazey hopes other students will embrace new opportunities. “I encourage all students to explore the many resources UGA offers, both in and outside the classroom, and to say ‘yes’ to new opportunities—you never know where they’ll lead you!” To learn more about the Film, Art, and Cultural History in Berlin study abroad program, please visit www.gsstudies.uga.edu/berlin.
