After an international search to find 20-year-old Emilee Irsik, the junior German major was located by German authorities last week. Irsik’s mother, Sherry, spoke with her daughter at about noon local time Nov. 8, according to an Emporia State press release.

“We are so grateful to everyone who shared in our concern and who said a prayer,” Irsik’s mother told ESU officials.

Irsik made a secret trip to Germany over Fall Break – no one, not her family, roommates or boyfriend, knew about it. One of Irsik’s roommates, Megan Nolan, told The Bulletin that Irsik said she was “going home” over the break, which she assumed meant Irsik was visiting her grandmother in Wichita. When Irsik hadn’t returned to campus the evening of Oct. 22, Nolan and her other roommate, who declined an interview with The Bulletin, contacted their Resident Assistant, who then contacted campus police.

“We’ve been involved since day one,” said Chris Hoover, director of campus police. “I have an expandable file folder that is expanded almost to the max.”

Hoover said he had “no clue” as to Irsik’s current whereabouts or if she made it safely back to the United States, but Gwen Larson, assistant director of Media Relations, said during a phone interview Wednesday night that Irsik made it back to the U.S.

“No one at the university that I know of has had contact with Emilee,” Larson said. “At this point, everything is in her hands.”

As for the investigation launched by campus police, Hoover said there is “nothing more” the department is doing.

A Facebook group, “Emilee Irsik – Missing Person,” was created to help locate Irsik, and the details of her disappearance and several photos were distributed both in the U.S. and abroad. The group is no longer available or open to the public.

The Office of the Registrar confirmed that Irsik is still enrolled as a student at ESU.

“I know the parents were very pleased with how supportive everybody at Emporia State was,” Larson said. “Emilee’s a part of our family, and it’s always nice when the family can pull together to help each other.”

The Bulletin was unable to make contact with either Irsik or her family by press time on Wednesday.