Academic Background: After finishing high school in Hamburg and an exchange year in Venezuela, Laura Walz began studying social studies at the university of Hamburg. Her main focus were „social problems, social politics“ and „migration research“. Her minor subject was psychology. Laura Walz has continued this interdisciplinary work, as she is writing her BA dissertation at the RespectResearchGroup.
Professional background: Before she began to study Laura Walz lived in Burkina Faso for one year, Westafrica, where she gained diverse experience in development aid. Thereby she completed an internship in a project which attended street children („Centre de formation pour enfants en difficultés à Ouagadougou“). Furthermore Laura Walz worked as a volunteer for a project called „Sécurité alimentaire“ (food security). Both projects were financed by the international acting aid organization Red Cross. Above all she graduated an internship in the orphanage AMPO. In Hamburg she was involved in the orientation tutorials at the beginning of term for the first- year students and completed an internship during her studies in the „Jugendbildung Hamburg“, a public utility company with great experience in the job- related qualification for adolescents with special need for coaching.
Moreover Laura Walz worked during her studies for a alternative practitioner, actually she works for a day- care centre.
Personal Statement: I like Richard Sennett's quote where he says, that a lack of respect may appear less aggressive than a straight defamation, but at the same time it can be equally blessing. This quote shows, that respect is something which everyone needs to feel acknowledged by other people. Richard Sennett amplifies furthermore that a lack of respect is a form of ignorance, which makes someone feel as if his/her presence doesn't really matter. I think that respect is essential for all kinds of human relations. That includes to face other people impartially and accept opinions with which one disagrees respectively argue in a respectful manner against other positions. Because it is the
appreciation of differences which enables us to really use the ‘resource’ diversity.
Laura Walz