ClubDA SCHOLARSHIPS 2011/12 - Diplomatic Academy Vienna

ClubDA Scholarships 2011-12
Mara Pfneisl: a portrait Kristian Jachnowitsch
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One very nice side aspect of the scholarship
for me was that I got the opportunity
to get to know and to interview
Mara Pfneisl, a MAIS 1 student whom I did not
talk to a lot before.
Mara grew up in a small town called Vail, Colorado
in the USA. When looking back at her childhood,
she describes Vail as a safe and sheltered
place that was great for growing up. Having
lived next to one of the greatest ski resorts in
the US, Mara started skiing at the age of three
but later concentrated more on Ballet and Jazz.
She is still pursuing her interest in dancing – you
can find her among the best dancers during the
weekly DA dance classes and she participates in
the Ball Committee which is responsible for the
organization of the DA Ball this year.
After finishing High School, Vail soon became
too small and provided not enough opportunities
for Mara. Consequently, she moved to Portland,
OR and started her undergraduate studies in
“International Affairs and Psychology”. From the
very beginning of her studies, Mara appreciated
the distinctive combination of Psychology and
Political Science. By dealing with topics such as
Group Think, Charismatic Leadership and Perception
and Misperception, Mara felt that she
was learning something which could help her to
understand “why states do what they do”.
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When asked about the origins of her interest in
International Studies, Mara mentions her year
abroad in Austria when she was fifteen. She lived
in her father´s hometown of Kirschschlag, in