Rene Dobberitz, an undergraduate student in the Department of Computer Science,will serve as the Whitacre College of Engineering banner bearer for the August 2026 commencement ceremony.
Dobberitz, who is from Hamburg, Germany, came to Texas Tech by a round about route. He started his college career in Germany for general engineering, and after a year decided to pursue an apprenticeship as an IT consultant before joining his fiancé, Tatjana, in Boston while she completed her degree.
“When she graduated, I applied to computer science programs around the US and decided to come to Texas Tech,” Dobberitz explained.
Dobberitz has called Texas Tech and Lubbock home for two years.
When asked about what he has valued most about his education at Texas Tech, Dobberitz described how the approach to teaching is different here than in Germany.
“In Germany, you sit through lectures for the entire semester and there is one test at the end. If you fail that test, you have to retake the class. I have liked that there is testing throughout the semester, and learning is evaluated incrementally.”
Beyond the classroom experience, Dobberitz loves the school spirit, especially the game-day excitement around football. He even loves the heat and the sunshine but not the dirt.
What he has enjoyed most about Lubbock and being part of the Texas Tech community is the openness and hospitality he has experienced here.
That feeling of openness and hospitality is what Dobberitz says he will carry with him back to Hamburg—that and his cowboy boots.
