The Claus Halle Scholarship

A €5000 scholarship awarded annually to a North American undergraduate student enrolled at Jacobs University. The scholarship is given in honor of Claus Halle, founding Chairman of JUFA, and is awarded from an endowment.​

​Claus Halle was the founding Chairman of JUFA, and his leadership played a very important role in its later developments. Halle was a superbly organized and visionary international businessman who, later in his career, played an important philanthropic and leadership role in a variety of cultural institutions, not least of which were the roles he played as a Governor of Jacobs University and as the founding Chairman of JUFA. For his dedication and lifetime efforts Claus Halle was awarded the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit by the President of the Federal Republic of Germany and in 2001 he was honored as the Georgia Philanthropist of the Year. On the website of the Halle Foundation, which he created for his philanthropic activities, one finds an excellent overview of his business and cultural activities: http://www.thehallefoundation.org/abouthalle.html
The funding he provided allowed JUFA to create the Claus Halle Scholarship, a permanently endowed scholarship to provide financial support for an American student studying at Jacobs. Claus Halle lived his life seeking to expand understanding and respect around the globe - and this scholarship is intended to inspire the same in a new generation of leaders. The first scholarship was awarded to Jessica Ice in 2007 and has been awarded annually ever since.  

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Scholars

Alecsia Dumitru-Carausu
Biochemistry and Cell Biology | Class of 2026

Alecsia's parents are from Romania, she herself was born in Spain and raised in Texas, USA. "My whole life is about diversity, so I am convinced that Constructor University is a perfect fit for me," she said. Alecsia is studying Biochemistry and Cell Biology and, after her first year of study, she is particularly enthusiastic about the laboratory work: "We get to gain laboratory experience very early in our studies and the lectures provide detailed knowledge. This makes the study program in Bremen stand out in my eyes." She received the Claus Halle Scholarship because of her commitment to passing on her newly learned skills and applying them in joint project work. 

Adam Jammoul
Chemistry and Biotechnology | Class of 2025

My name is Adam Jammoul, I was born in New York in 2004 and moved to the United Arab Emirates where I lived with my parents and 3 sisters. I started my educational journey at a French School up until primary and then moved to a British School where I completed my A levels in Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics. I believe this diversity in my educational and cultural background has prepared me to where I need to be in the future.
When I recently started my undergraduate journey at Jacobs University, Bremen, I chose to major in Chemistry and Biotechnology. I was strongly attracted to this program that combines two valuable disciplines given their importance to the world we live in. I observed in my high school studies that it has provided me subject knowledge, critical thinking, and team work and collaboration skills. A degree program in CBT will equip me further with the competencies, research techniques, and advanced problem-solving skills needed for a career in CBT, and hopefully for further studies at the post-graduate or PhD level.​

Keagan Skye Holmes
Robotics and Intelligent Systems | Class of 2023

Hey! I’m Keagan, a student at Jacobs University studying Robotics and Intelligent Systems. I’ve spent most of my life in San Diego, California, also where I graduated as salutatorian from my high school. I decided to study at Jacobs because I found the idea of a specialized undergrad program in robotics intriguing - I spent a lot of time working with my school’s FIRST Robotics Competition team, and I really enjoyed all the different parts and people that had to come together in order to get our robot functional. Jacobs offered a very unique degree that I hoped would prepare me for a future in a similar working environment, and I also hoped the international nature of the university would help me better understand the world we live in as a whole. It was an honor to receive the Claus Halle scholarship and it in no doubt will greatly aid me financially in my studies. I will be sure to continue to spread Halle’s message of unity and peace across the globe in hopes of a brighter future for us all.

Kylee Crisostomo
Integrated Social Sciences | Class of 2021

My name is Kylee Crisostomo, and I am from Phoenix Arizona in the United States. I am currently majoring in Integrated Social Sciences with a minor in Psychology. I came to Jacobs University since it allowed me to study in Germany in English. I would like to continue with my master in Germany and therefore Jacobs University was a great option to allow me to develop my language. Jacobs University has also allowed me to gain new insights into different cultures all from one campus. The Claus Halle scholarship has allowed me to continue my studies with a lesser financial burden. In the future I hope to have completed my masters in Germany and be in a position where I can help people.

Jonathan Rittmayer
Computer Science | Class of 2020

​My name is Jonathan Rittmayer and I grew up in New Jersey of the United States. I was one of the students granted a scholarship through the JUFA (Jacobs University Foundation of America). I am currently on track to major in Computer Science. Depending on how well I can balance my 3 modules I may even try to major in Psychology. This being said, I came to Jacobs University for a couple of reasons; most other universities will put an enormous financial burden on your shoulders adding onto the already stressful change, Jacobs continues to impress me with its incredible opportunities within not only their academics and careers but also within community and cultural awareness. I was able to receive a lessened financial burden and as stated above this allows me to put more energy into becoming successful and work hard academically. All in all, in five years or so I hope to be somewhere living a happy life as well as influencing the world around me in a positive manner.

Marcus Makinson
Integrated Social Sciences | Class of 2019

​I'm Marcus Makinson, my major is Integrated Social Sciences with a minor in International Relations in the class of 2019. I grew up in Roanoke, Virginia, USA and found Jacobs when researching German universities that taught undergraduate programs in English, as I wanted to get my Masters in Germany as well, but had no German language knowledge. Jacobs was one of maybe four schools I found like this and it had a very international community I wanted to be a part of. In the future I hope to have completed my graduates in most likely psychology and either doing consulting or working in the government as well as working on my way to gaining German citizenship and speaking decent German and Spanish. 

Taylor Hafemeister
International Politics and History | Class of 2017

My name is Taylor Hafemeister, and I studied International Politics and History at Jacobs University from 2014-2017. My primary motivation for studying at Jacobs was its location in Germany in combination with its reputation for producing open-minded and capable graduates. The Claus Halle Scholarship took considerable financial pressure off both me and my family and allowed me to focus to a greater extent on my academics and extracurriculars. Since leaving Jacobs, I have received my Masters in Management from the University of Edinburgh and begun working as a Junior IT Consultant in Energy Economics at a firm here in Northern Germany, and in the future I hope to continue to progress professionally in this line of work. 

Courtney Adams Bouthiller
Integrated Social Sciences | Class of 2013

I went to Jacobs from 2010- 2013 and studied Integrated Social Sciences. I originally decided to go to Jacobs because being in an international environment and being able to have diverse classmates was very important to me. I loved my time there, from being USG president my third year, to floor parties (go Mercator!), to all the international events - there was always something going on to be involved with, things to learn, and people to meet. It was a great experience. Since Jacobs, my love for international travel hasn't changed! My husband and I went to Thailand and Cambodia for our honeymoon last summer, and we have plans to see much more of the world in the future! Also since my Jacobs graduation I have spent a year as a substitute teacher, completed a two year MA in Public Policy and Administration, done internships with the state governor, and started a PhD in Sociology at Umass Amherst. Since I'm at the start of my PhD, in 5 years I see myself finishing up this program, and hopefully on the job market looking for an academic job at an esteemed university to be able to continue focusing on my research and teaching. I'd also hope in the next 5 years that I'll have made it back to Jacobs for a visit!

Jessica Ice
International Politics and History | Class of 2010

My name is Jessica Ice and I graduated from Jacobs in 2010 with a Bachelor’s in International Politics and History. It was such an honor to receive the Claus Halle Scholarship in 2009 and become a part of the JUFA community. After Jacobs, I received a Master’s Degree from the University of Zurich in Management Economics and worked at Zurich Insurance in Group IT. I then moved back to the US, where I worked as a Research Analyst for the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. While in Cleveland, I had the honor of joining the JUFA Board and helping with community engagement and fundraising. In 2017, I started a Juris Doctorate program at Case Western Reserve University.

Other Scholars
Grace Wire | J​oshua Webb | Benjamin Glaubinger | Jessica Chaney | Taylor Hafemeister | Lila Solomon