English and German double major explores summer in Berlin

For one UGA Franklin student, the summer of 2025 was more than an experiential learning opportunity – it was an awakening of perspective, creativity, and cultural understanding. As a double major in German and English, Cooper Sunderland spent a six-week study abroad immersed in Berlin, exploring not only a new city but new ways of seeing the world and himself as a writer – all through the funding made possible by the SPARK Fellowship. 

The SPARK Fellowship is an annual scholarship competition through English department’s Creative Writing Program. It provides financial support of up to $4,000 for a student’s independent summer study abroad, involving the pursuit of a project that combines creative writing and cultural translation. Students propose original projects developed in discussion with a faculty mentor to oversee the project through its completion.   

As the 2024-2025 winner, Sunderland combined his two interdisciplinary majors and merged them into one transformative summer in Berlin. His foundation in German gave him the linguistic fluency and cultural literacy to navigate Berlin with confidence, while his English studies provided the critical and creative viewpoint to interpret what he observed in a broader context. Together, they shaped the way he engaged with the city and its people.  

This fall, in a presentation on his project “Art – A Refugee Abroad,” Sunderland discussed his travels and the process of making a creative writing project for the SPARK Fellowship.

With support from Jan Uelzmann, associate professor of German, Sunderland started to develop the plans for his project. Sunderland’s travel took him to various corners of Berlin. His presentation described both seeing and internalizing historical landmarks, buildings, and the history that can be held within Berlin. 

In the historic “Grey City,” Sunderland settled his focus on research and writing about minority and immigrant artists, where he extended his interests in language and literature toward a shared purpose of understanding the power of art. In Berlin, he mapped out days deliberately, with time set apart for observation, with most of his time in the libraries of the city, reading literature and poetry from migrant writers. He was also in contact with the Kreuzberg Kunstraum, one of the cultural centers of Berlin, and attending a variety of different art festivals and shows to gain a deeper understanding of German culture. Being surrounded by German also helped him improve his understanding of the language.

“Most days, I was getting up at 9 a.m. First thing in the morning, I would go to one of the many cafés. Then, I would attend an art festival, read at one of the expansive libraries across Berlin, and interview immigrant artists,” he said. “It’s great to observe Berlin in its truest sense.” 

His studies and experience in Berlin accumulated into a creative report that included many translations of German language poetry, prose, music and more. 

Detailing his report, Sunderland delved into his internal dialogue to engage the audience on his time. He began his journey with some initial culture shock. “Being taken out of your own context changes your view on your own culture,” Sunderland said. “You learn more about yourself and who you are as a writer.” 

Yet, Sunderland’s experience extended beyond observation. “I wanted to be a more attached observer. I wanted to synthesize the impressions, the dynamics, the people there,” he explained. “But at some point, you need to get to know the people in the city. Not pretending to be a detached narrator is something I came to.” 

By engaging with the people and places around him, Sunderland found himself writing and digesting the arts with renewed focus. Specifically, meeting with immigrant poet from Iran, Khalid Abdullahi and Sebastian Hoffman, director of Touring Artists, an institution supporting at-risk artists in Germany motivated his dialogue with intentionality and internal examination as well as strengthened his desire to embrace the creativity woven into the fabric of the city.  

Their two perspectives, as well as the other artists he interviewed, strengthened his understanding and dealing with the ethical and moral questions of how to represent real people in fiction. By the end of his study away, he gained deeper insight into German culture as well as his own culture. 

Excellence and innovation in the arts and sciences enables a vast array of experiential learning opportunities for students like Sunderland to investigate the connections between language, culture, and creativity across disciplines. The SPARK Fellowship powered his curiosity to open up his imagination and gain a deeper understanding of the world.   

Image: Cooper Sunderland giving his SPARK Fellowship Presentation. Photo by Mianna Lotshaw.