Magdalena Bürk Awarded President’s Medal for Citizenship
Without the constant new ideas, tireless commitment, and countless volunteer projects of its students, KLU would not be the place and the university it is. In order to thank the entire student body, KLU President Thomas Strothotte has created a very special award – the President's Medal for Citizenship, endowed with €1,000. This year, the award went to 2022 KLU graduate Magdalena Bürk who earned a Bachelor of Business Administration.
“Selfless giving back to the institution and the people within it is what I call citizenship. It’s about serving others to create social capital and cohesion benefitting all,” Prof. Strothotte said. “A community like ours needs more than good grades and outstanding scholarship.”
A Sign of Gratitude and Encouragement for All Students
Whether in an elected student position at KLU – class representative, student senator, or other leadership positions, or as a member of the Student Ambassador Program – students shape their university. “In this sense, the award is meant to be a sign of gratitude and encouragement to the entire student body for their commitment,” Prof. Strothotte said. Magdalena Bürk (Bachelor of Business Administration, class of 2022) has received the award for her outstanding character, an example for all students.
Magdalena Bürk: Ultimate Go-to Person
Magdalena Bürk proved a very active student from the beginning of her studies in 2019. After joining the student clubs UniKonnect and KLU Thinks Big, she became Student Ambassador, organizing virtual events during the Covid-19 pandemic. In her second year of the bachelor program she took on the role of student body spokesperson, which made her the “ultimate go-to person for all student and university administration concerns,” as it was put in the laudation. Most recently, she took the lead in organizing the graduation ball.
KLU President: Caring for Student Perspectives
Since the beginning of his now 10 years of serving KLU as president, Prof. Strothotte has always made it a priority to keep his door open for students and their perspectives. To this effect, the President successfully hosts a quarterly student representative meeting. “Your well-being as students has always been most important to me. If there was something that was bugging you, I wanted to know,” he stated at this year’s graduation ceremony.
Student Services nominates the award winner. After consultation with the Executive Board and the KLU Student Foundation, the KLU President then officially selects the winner.
More information:
- Positive Outlook: Studying, Laughing, and Celebrating Together Again (interview with Magdalena Bürk und Dean of Programs Prof. Dr. Christian Barrot about studying in times of the corona pandemic; 25 Mai, 2021)
- Leading Logistics into the Future - KLU Graduation 2022 (News, 14 September; 2022)