Anna-Lena Wagner

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Ansbach University of Applied Sciences?
"If you work hard, you can party hard." That's what the then President Dr. Ute Ambrosius said at our introductory event. I think we've done a good job of putting that into practice. Particularly in the context of my student council work, celebrating was usually not neglected. Nevertheless, we also supported each other in our studies and the higher semesters were always there to help and advise us.

What was the best experience at Ansbach University that you remember?
Phew, there are many!
My own O-Days were definitely a highlight.
My two years in the Senate and the University Council were also very special and helped me personally.
It was also a special honour for me to be able to give a speech at the alumni ball together with a fellow student council member.
However, the highlight was probably the WISO national student council conference, which we were able to organise in Ansbach in the winter semester of 2017. This would not have been possible without the support of the university administration.

You can't have studied in Ansbach without ...
O-days, summer festivals, barbecues on campus or BIB parties (although these now take place in the refectory).
And without "standing out" - at the HS Ansbach you are not just a matriculation number.

What motivations determined your choice of studies and career?
I'll have to elaborate a little on that ...
I started studying because I wanted to work in marketing. Since pure marketing courses were only available at private universities at the time and I didn't want to do that, I opted for a holistic business administration course in which I could choose marketing as a focus. The job came about in a roundabout way. Since I wanted to be as broadly positioned as possible in marketing, I also voluntarily took marketing modules from other degree programmes. One of them was Sports Marketing 1 with Michael Lang from the Departmental Journalism programme. At the time, he took us to see regional league basketball in Ansbach. While the RJOs enjoyed reporting on it, I started supporting the hapa Ansbach Piranhas on home game days. That's how the passion for the sport came about and I'm lucky enough to be able to put this passion into practice in my job.

What influence did your studies at Ansbach University of Applied Sciences have on your life? Is there anything that has remained particularly memorable for you?
My career was completely influenced by my studies, as described above. Working in sports was never my plan. But things usually turn out differently than you think.
And the work in the student council has also had an absolute impact on me and brought me further personally.

What did you take away from your studies for your professional future?
Learning the basics of business administration in many areas definitely helps me. But I think the most instructive aspect of my studies was my personal development.  

If you could study again today, would you do anything differently?
Maybe I would choose another degree programme, there is quite a wide choice nowadays. Nevertheless, back to Ansbach - I really enjoyed studying at Ansbach University of Applied Sciences.

Looking back on your time as a student: What would you like to pass on to students?
Enjoy the freedom during your studies - no one will ask you later if you really completed your studies in the standard period of study. Dare to stray from the path and try things that are not part of your original plan.

To what extent do you still feel connected to the university today? Do you still have contact with fellow students?
I have many fond memories of my time in Ansbach. When I'm there, I always drop by the campus and am happy to see familiar faces. Many close friendships that are still with me today also developed during my studies. I am really grateful for that!

What were the important stages on your career path?
I think Micha Lang really tipped the scales when we went to the Piranhas with his course. After that, I was lucky enough to do my practical semester at Brose Bamberg, which was very challenging but also instructive. I didn't expect to get a permanent position in the first national basketball league with BG Göttingen straight away. Now I've been in Crailsheim since March 2021 and I hope that's the last club - after all, all good things come in threes :)

What career tips do you have for students and young graduates?
I like to repeat myself:
Dare to stray from the path and try things that are not part of the original plan.