Wiebke Engel decided to study English after an au-pair year in the United States, where she also attended a community college. She received her M.A. in American Studies, Sociology, and Political Sciences in 2008, after studying at the University of Duisburg-Essen. After working as a "studentische Hilfskraft" for Professor Raab, she started teaching at the Institute of Anglophone Studies (American Studies) and is currently working on her PhD thesis.