On a tiny island off the coast of Germany, a young Anna Gramberg watched "Gone with the Wind" and dreamed of one day living in a place where it was hot at night.
Years later, that dream came true. Gramberg, who is now dean of the College of Liberal Arts, has enjoyed the sweltering heat of Alabama summers since her arrival at Auburn in 1993.
Gramberg became a U.S. citizen Feb. 1.
As Gramberg said the Pledge of Allegiance and listened to a school choir sing the National Anthem, she said she felt a connection with all the immigrants who had come to the United States throughout its history.
"I think sometimes a lot of people who were born here really forget that this has always been the country of opportunity for so many who came here and arrived by boat, by ship," Gramberg said. "It links you back to those times, so that's what was going through my head--that this country has always stood for opportunity. It's big."
Gramberg said she had expectations of the U.S. before she arrived.
The lifestyle of Americans along with the weather was always appealing to her, she said.
"(My expectations) were not only met, they were exceeded because I always saw the United States as a country where immigrants came with a real chance to succeed, and America is still the country of multiple opportunities, where if you work real hard, you can be successful," Gramberg said. "The countries in Europe are much older, and you have a lot more bureaucracy."
Freedom is also something Gramberg values.
"The freedom here--not just freedom in terms of speech--they have that in Europe too\0xAD--but more freedom from the shackles of 'We've always done it this way'--It's still fresh and new in comparison to the very old traditions in Europe," Gramberg said.
After earning her Ph.D. in German with a concentration in business from Michigan State University, Gramberg began teaching German for business and economics at Auburn. She has been an administrator in the College of Liberal Arts since 2001 and became dean in 2005.
Gramberg said she enjoys living in the South and has even developed an appreciation for football.
"I didn't grow up with it, so it's not in my blood like it is for many of you all, but I certainly have grown an understanding for it," she said. "I mean, you have to be on somebody's side when you live in Alabama, right?"
Gramberg said she is excited about the future of the College of Liberal Arts.
"We are doing very, very well, especially considering we have all gone through hard times with the budget cuts, and thanks to our faculty, we have met the challenge of serving our students very well with less resources," Gramberg said. "And also our students are really very, very good, and they work with us, so that's really the key. I hope we can just continue in this path."
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