Leila Härtel ‘28 | Physics major, International Relations minor
It's like a family. Everyone [at Saint Anselm] wants the best for you.
Leila Härtel ’28 came to Saint Anselm College all the way from Mannheim, Germany to bring her field hockey skills stateside. The Physics major has enjoyed her time on campus and feels supported by her peers, faculty, and Anselmian community as an international student. Härtel is shooting for the stars (literally) with her career ambitions, and plans to spend the summer back in Germany interning at the prestigious Max Planck Institute of Astronomy.
Where are you from?
I'm in Mannheim, Germany. It’s about 45 minutes down south from Frankfurt.
How did you discover Saint Anselm?
I was recruited by Saint Anselm because of field hockey! There was an international organization that made a highlight video with a bunch of clips from my games. They send it out to coaches in the United States to see what schools were interested.
How has your experience been as an international student?
It's always an adventure. I really, really love it. I did an exchange year in North Dakota when I was a junior in high school. I wanted to be independent early on, be away from home, and to get to know a different culture. North Dakota was very deep American cowboy and very different, but I like it a lot better in New Hampshire. It’s funny because I'm still seen as “the German girl,” which is funny—I’ll never get rid of that. People ask me questions and want to know stuff about me, which I like. I like that they are interested!
What are you involved in on the Hilltop?
Whenever I find time, I try to like to be engaged in things. I love Cabingo—I actually won once! That was my highlight of my Saint Anselm career. I won headphones that I wanted! I’ve been to trivia a few times and my roommates and I are planning to pick up either pickleball or club basketball. I am also a Kevin B. Harrington Student Ambassador in the New Hampshire Institute of Politics (NHIOP) and have been going to their events since my freshman year. I went to two or three Pizza and Politics events which was pretty interesting. You can hear different ideas and opinions, which I find interesting being from Germany and having lived in North Dakota. It's hard sometimes to listen to people that are very far from your own opinion, but it's still super important.
Why did you choose to study physics when you are so interested in politics?
I was always more into science. If my teacher was like, “do you want to write an essay and read a book, or do you want to solve some math problems?”, I’d always say “give me the math problems!” I'm more of a logistical person.
Do you know what you’d like to pursue after Saint Anselm?
Right now, one of my dreams would be to work for NASA or the European version of NASA, which is called the European Space Agency (ESA). I think I want to go into engineering, but that could always change. I plan to do a master’s program in aerospace engineering.
How did you select an International Relations minor?
I wanted to have balance in my courses. Some people have asked me, “is it confusing or weird for you to be studying such different subjects?” I really, really enjoy it because if I start my physics homework and then get bored, I can switch gears and do something totally different! Also, if I want to work for NASA or ESA, it’s good to understand how the international system works because everything around the planet is connected and political.
Have you participated in any internships as a Saint Anselm student?
Not yet, but I am doing one in Heidelberg, Germany over the summer at the Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science’s Institute for Astronomy. They host internships for students from any culture or country and undergraduate, graduate, and Ph.D. students. Every year, they have projects laid out, and in your application, you rank five of the most preferable projects you’d like to work on.
What will you be working on at the internship?
I’ll be doing a lot of observing of typical astronomy patterns and collecting data. There will also be some computational stuff, like storing data in the computer and recognizing patterns.
How has your relationship with faculty been at Saint Anselm?
I’ve never had a bad professor. Everyone is so very nice, friendly, and helpful and always a really good resource. When I need something, I know which professor I can go to. When I needed to apply for my internship, I went to Professor Ian Durham and asked him if he could write me a recommendation. He said it was no problem and did it very fast and well! It was so nice and I don’t take it for granted.
Why would you recommend Saint Anselm as an international student?
It's like a family. Everyone wants the best for you. They always talk about “being Anselmian,” and in Germany, there isn’t that sort of togetherness. I feel like in Germany, people can be more for themselves, but at Saint Anselm you always have people you can talk to, and there is always something going on. I also have grown as a person being outside of my comfort zone here. Coming from another country can be hard at first, but once you understand how everything works you will feel more comfortable! You have to give it more than one semester. Saint Anselm tries to make the campus a good environment for everyone.