Sonia Birla ’25 to participate in exchange program in Germany

Sonia Birla ’25 is one of 65 Americans selected to study and work in Germany as part of the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals program. She will depart for this one-year experience Friday, July 25, to return in June 2026.

While in Germany, Birla will take a two-month intensive language course in Cologne, where she will stay with a host family. A six-month internship is part of the program, and Birla’s preference is to work with an urban planning department, tourism board or in transportation once the internship is finalized in January.

“I am most looking forward to understanding both German culture and myself on a deeper level and making transatlantic connections that will last a lifetime,” Birla said.

The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals is a competitive, immersive exchange program jointly offered by the U.S. and German governments. In the U.S., it is sponsored by the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, under the authority of the Fulbright-Hays Act of 1961, as amended.

A Levine Scholar and Honors College student, Birla graduated in May with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in finance and bachelor’s degrees in geography and international studies. At Charlotte, she was president of the South Asian Student Association and the Campus Sustainability Alliance. She also served as sustainability liaison for the Student Government Association and vice chair of the Campus Green fund.