Leonie Riße, a student on the Master's programme in Taxation, Accounting and Finance at the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics at Paderborn University, has been awarded this year's Schmalenbach Scholarship. The award was presented at the 80th German Business Administration Conference and honours outstanding academic achievements and social commitment.
Leonie Riße decided to study for a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Economics at Paderborn University due to her interest in economic topics during her A-levels. She already gained practical experience during her studies - first in service and later in tax consultancy. She is currently working as a student trainee at BENTELER in the Talent Acquisition department, where she is gaining practical experience in human resources management.
She became aware of the Schmalenbach Scholarship through the supervisor of her bachelor's thesis. "I am particularly impressed by the combination of practical relevance, academic exchange and support for committed students," explains Leonie Riße. With her application, she pursued the goal of advancing her academic development in a targeted manner, deepening her knowledge of current business management topics and networking with experts and other scholarship holders. She sees the programmes offered by the Schmalenbach Society as an important impetus for her personal and professional development.
In her letter of recommendation,Professor Dr Caren Sureth-Sloane particularly emphasises the student's professional quality: "Leonie Riße's performance is outstanding. She makes a very valuable contribution to the classes with well-founded questions and contributions to discussions and has strong transfer skills." In an inter-university comparison, she is "one of the very best students".
In addition to her academic achievements, the scholarship holder is involved in several initiatives. She has been a member of the UPBracing Team e. V. since September 2025, where she works on business plans. She describes the interdisziplinär exchange and the dynamic team atmosphere as particularly enriching. Since the beginning of this year, she has also been supporting the Menschenmögliches e.V. association, which supports families in which one of the parents has cancer. Among other things, she is responsible for contacting foundation partners and preparing concept letters, including calculations for special projects. "I find it meaningful to support children in life crises," says Riße, who knows from her own experience about the particular challenges for affected families.
She is also continuing her academic journey internationally: from June, Leonie Riße will spend six months in Tasmania, where she will study for a Master's degree in Professional Accounting. She then plans to complete her studies quickly and gain additional insights into different companies and fields of activity through further internships.
The Schmalenbach Foundation supports professionally qualified and socially committed students on business-oriented Master's programmes. In addition to financial support, the scholarship holders benefit in particular from the Schmalenbach Society's network, which promotes dialogue between academia and practice.
