Michael is from Germany and thus has a different perception of Switzerland than many other students at UCCR. He has been to Switzerland many a time and expected Brig to be “a small remote town in the Alps, a starting point for hiking trips in summer and awesome skiing days in winter”. Any his expectations have been met.

Although Brig is far from being a pulsating city, Michael enjoys living here. Brig is central and cities such as Milano, Montreux, Lucerne or even Rome are not too far. It takes half an hour to cross the border to Italy.

“The UCCR is an ideal place to study in my opinion. It is a professional university with a very personal touch. Everybody knows each other and that creates a very enjoyable atmosphere. And of course it is fantastic to study together with people from all around the world. I appreciate to be here every day because I do not perceive it normal. I have won the UCCR scholarship competition in 2004 which gives me the opportunity to do my Bachelor’s Degree here in Brig.”

Before coming to Brig, Michael has already had the chance to work in the hotel business for three and a half years. This is where he realised that he wanted to stay in the hospitality industry. He is proud to be part of the team of the “House of Switzerland” at the Olympic Winter Games in Torino in February 2006.

His plans for the future certainly are ambitious. After his graduation in June 2006, he envisions to improve his language skills and his goal is to have a demanding and challenging job in the hotel industry, which will help him develop further and to get to know many different things.

But it is important for Michael “to always be open-minded and willing to leave your track to make new and exciting experiences.”