Combining STEM and the Humanities at UGA paves unique pathways for students

Madalyn Fremstand, is a fourth-year student from Dallas, GA, majoring in biological engineering and German. She chose these two majors to pursue her passion in engineering and connect with her heritage. She believes that her unique background will set her up well for law school.

Fremstad always knew that she wanted to pursue engineering but it wasn’t until her freshman year at UGA that she discovered she could connect with her family heritage through the Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies in the Franklin College. 

“It was important for me to pursue that part of my family's past and thought the experience would be very rewarding,” she said. Since then, she has been able to study abroad in Germany and also plans to intern there as well. While German may seem completely divorced from engineering, however, the exact sentence structure reminds her of engineering formulas. "Studying German has given me a more global understanding of engineering. Instead of just focusing on opportunities in Georgia and the U.S. it has allowed me to see ways that I can take my degree elsewhere.”

Fremstad ended up falling in love with the UGA community and Athens. She appreciated that she wasn’t consumed with classes and could enjoy spending time with friends. “Athens is a really nice city and there are a lot of events that happen making it easier to not be consumed with intensive classes. I think life in Athens is well rounded.” She originally planned to transfer, but found she enjoyed the German program and liked the close proximity of the UGA Law School. “The new path is at UGA” she said. 

Balancing the humanities and STEM courses is important to Fremstad. “I love going from a German class straight to an engineering class because the shock is needed. Sometimes you are taking very similar classes, and it can get repetitive. I love taking humanity classes because it works out a different part of my brain” Fremstad said. 

Taking advantage of the different colleges at UGA has created unique experiences for Fremstad. She believes that it will give her unique experiences and knowledge for practicing law. She is interested in patent law or international law but is still deciding on what path she wants to take. 

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