Our Alumni

Alexa Donne is the Edgar Award–nominated author of Pretty Dead Queens,The Ivies, as well as young adult sci-fi romance retellings Brightly Burning andThe Stars We Steal. By day, she lives in Los Angeles and works in television marketing. She is a graduate of GAPP and CBYX student exchange programs. Her newest book The Bitter End will be published this October.

German(y) wasn't initially on Michael Thompson's high school radar in Omaha, Nebraska. He studied French, Spanish, and even taught himself Japanese. But it wasn't until his friends at the Omaha North High School hosted German exchange students in 2015, that German suddenly took center stage.

As astronaut 007, Jamila Gilbert was part of the Virgin Galactic crew that took a sub-orbital flight into space. Jamila is the third Virgin Galactic woman to fly to space, and is among the first 100 women astronauts in history. She took German in high school and participated in a GAPP exchange in 2005/06 that led her to Mosbach in Baden-Württemberg and Dresden, Saxony.  
 

Leo Chu and Achim Schommer have been friends since their GAPP exchange in 1988. We talked to Leo and Achim about their GAPP experience and their close friendship despite living on different continents and what keeps their friendship alive after almost 35 years. 
 

To say Miles Johnson has a gift for languages would be an understatement. The young engineer speaks multiple languages. We sat down with him and talked about trust in teenagers, eating habits and why keeping an open mind can only be of personal advantage.

Katerina Shinbori was only 16 years old when she decided to embark on her first GAPP exchange to Germany. She had never left the U.S. before. Katerina made close friends, performed a silly dance routine for laughing spectators, and developed an instant fascination with world travel. 

In the 1980‘s, Daniel Villanueva took off to his first trip abroad. The GAPP program sparked a life-long passion in international travel and intercultural exchange. He visited Germany’s most famous fairy tale castle, was “captured” in East Berlin and discovered an unexpected modern lifestyle.

In 2006, while Germany celebrated the FIFA World Cup, Anna Patton embarked on her first independent travel experience. We sat down with her and talked about flags, responsibilities, and the benefits of expending your personal boundaries.

Germans are usually not famous for being overly outgoing. However, quite the contrary can be the case. Salim Fayeq shares his viewpoints on German personality and the power of language from his exchange experience in 2015.

In 1985, Joe Martinez was a high school sophomore just beginning to learn German when he decided to fly across the world for his first GAPP exchange. During his travels to Germany he explored both sides of the Berlin Wall, licked radioactive salt, and met an interesting and diverse group of students and teachers. 

When Lynn Wood settled down in rural Minnesota, she told her children stories about one of her favorite countries to visit: Germany. When her daughters signed up to participate in a GAPP exchange, the Wood family volunteered their home to host German students. 

Mary Beth Schmitz might not have been a GAPP student herself, but if there was a person to represent the fundamental impact a GAPP exchange might have, it would probably be her. We sat down with her and talked about life changing encounters, cowboy hats, and the benefits of a “second home”.

Traveling all the way from Old Bridge High School in Matawan, New Jersey, to Duisburg in the western part of Germany, Cynthia excitedly described her trip as a mixture of magical, beautiful, and life-changing. We sat down with her to ask her a couple of questions about her exchange experience.

In 2009, Jay Morgan traveled to Germany for the first time in his life. During his GAPP exchange in Berlin, Jay encountered an upbeat polka band, found familiarity in a foreign context and sensed a true feeling of freedom.

Currently in her 11th year of teaching in Topeka, Kansas, Amy Calhoun helps coordinate an exchange program for her students to visit different parts of Germany. We sat down with her to discuss what it’s like to lead students in a foreign country.

In the spring of 1995, Danny Eickemeyer boarded a plane for the first time and set off for a four-week GAPP stay in the USA. Despite his initial nervousness, his American host family welcomed him with open arms.

Having spent most of her life in Michigan, Laindra Schuler was a bit apprehensive before her first international trip to Germany. From confusing shower facilities, to men swilling beer as they broke world records, Laindra overcame her anxiety to enjoy everything GAPP had to offer.

Jackson Howenstine says that taking part in GAPP was one of the most important decisions of his life. After spending several weeks on an exchange, he decided to attend school abroad in Germany for a semester. Today, he assists with GAPP exchanges so more students can get the same once-in-a-lifetime experience he did.

Working together as coordinators in New Jersey, Brita Schmitz and Anahita Keiller have helped countless students thrive during their time in Germany. We sat down with them to ask a couple of questions about the coordinator side of GAPP and how much the program impacts their students’ lives.

Currently in her 13th year at Mountain View High School in Meridian, Idaho, Cassie has personally taken over 120 students to Germany through exchange programs. Cassie says that GAPP shaped her future, and with her daughters recently completing their exchanges, her family has a multi-generational connection to the program.