Anna Ortwein is a sophomore from Germany studying Political Science, Economics, and Digital Intelligence. She is passionate about understanding the interconnectedness of elections, the future of transatlantic relations, and how far-right movements have gained influence worldwide, particularly the societal changes that enabled their rise. Over the past two years, Anna has run for both the German and European Parliaments. Through Bass Connections, she continues to explore the challenges faced by communities around the globe and looks forward to broadening this work through new perspectives in the Laidlaw Scholars Program. At Duke, Anna is involved in Duke Election Exchange, Tech4Change, Business Oriented Women, and The Lemur. In her free time, you can find her reading in Duke Gardens, testing the comfiest couches in Smith Warehouse and WU, or swimming in Wilson Gym.