Hi, my name is Nicole, I´m 25 years old and I´m from Germany. I graduated in 2011 with a B.A. degree in Business Administration - Banking. After graduation I worked for 2 years as an auditor in the financial sector. However, I was always interested in spending my work life in a more meaningful way. So I decided to quit and to spend one year in Guatemala to gain new experiences while finding out for myself in which direction to develop professionally. There I volunteered at a primary school and an orphanage for street children. Finally my experiences abroad combined with my previous study area convinced me of the need for a career change to the field of Development Economics. I chose MESCI for its well-structured and multidisciplinary curriculum as well as for the diverse array of professional and cultural backgrounds, which will foster an interesting learning environment. Taking part in the program is an opportunity to broaden my knowledge in developmental issues and to acquire a skill set which enables me to contribute to tackle the issues facing developing countries. I am looking forward to an interesting year full of new topics and shared life experiences.