Moritz Erhardt was an exchange student from Germany studying at the University of Michigan and was interning at the Bank of America in London when he died, seven days before he was due to complete his summer internship! According to those working with him the last days of his live a brilliant future has been lost.
Moritz was just 21-years-old and has died after reportedly working 72 hours in a row. His body was found unconscious at Claredale House, a student residential facility in East London on August 15th.
On the Student portfolio site Seelio we found Moritz sharing his personal Philosophy Statement that articulates his values, beliefs, and general approach to life. It reads:
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,The courage to change the things I can,And wisdom to know the difference.” – Reinhold Niebuhr (1892–1971)My father has dedicated this quote to me as a piece of advice for life. I have grown up in a family that expected me, in whatever respect, to excel in life. By implication, I felt somehow pressurized. However, I did not intend to belie my parents’ expectations. Therefore, I have become a highly competitive and ambitious nature from early on. Already during my times in elementary school, I began playing soccer as well as tennis, I engaged in track and field athletics, and I started ski racing. Sometimes, I had a tendency to be overambitious, which resulted in severe injuries. With respect to my performance in school, I was striving for excellence and trying to be the best all the time.
His career interests included Strategy Consulting, Finance, International Organizations, Diplomacy and Politics.That statement right there says a lot about him as a human and his competitive spirit. Form early on Moritz wanted to be the best at everything he engaged but could it this very own nature what took his life?
He continues to describe himself, his definition of goals with pictures and examples and after a three page statement on his persona he says:
Lastly, I am a person that emphasizes a cheerful enjoyment of life. I endeavor to savor every single moment of life. I love to get to know new people and for me the most valuable asset in life will always be personal relationships and heartfelt friendship with the ones that surround me. I hope that you were able to gain an insight into my individual philosophy. As I have a very liberal mindset, I am always curious to hear about other approaches to life and I love to converse with others about this fundamental topic.
Moritz previoulsy worked for Target as a consultant, he also worked for the non-profit organization Excellent Schools Detroit and was a Student Representative of WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management.
It’s an understatement to say the young inter at Bank of America was always prepared and seized every learning opportunity to the max.
The German exchange student was popular among his peers. He went to high school at Faust-Gymnasium in Staufen, Germany, where he excelled in math and tennis, according to the biography page. His hobbies included sports and politics, according to the profile.
Ironically he died just a few days before he could complete the summer program he was interning at the Bank of America in London.
You can find more about him here. R.I.P Moritz.
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