Tell us a little about yourself.
I grew up in Arvada, Colorado which is a suburb of Denver. I took German classes at my high school but was fortunate to first take part in the GAPP program in 2006 through Stanley Lake High School, where my mother taught. I went on to attend the University Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington and later served over two years in the Peace Corps in Kyrgyzstan. I currently reside and work in the Washington, D.C. area concentrating on international exchange programs for high school students.
Did you have any expectations of what Germany would look like and were these met?
My grandfather was in the U.S. Air Force stationed in Wiesbaden, Germany together with my father’s family in the second half of the 1970s. I recall my father’s stories from living on the base and interacting with the local community. Although I assumed living with a host family in the early 2000 would probably be different, the sense of community that my father had described was very much still there.
What was the town you went to?
The school that participated in the exchange was Comenius-Gymnasium in Deggendorf, close to the boarders of the Czech Republic and Austria. Bavaria and southern Germany embody more of the typical traditional culture that Americans imagine when they think of Germany. However, I had a very unique and exciting experience in 2006 due to Germany hosting the FIFA World Cup. Americans have flags in every neighborhood and in some ways a lot of national pride engrained into their culture. I was told this wouldn’t be the case in Germany, but in 2006 there were flags everywhere, everyone’s faces were painted, and the town came together around this event. Reflecting on that experience, it was one of the most memorable moments of my young adult life and continues to stick with me throughout the years.
You did a short-term exchange?
Yes! And, because my mother taught at the school where they offered the program, I had the opportunity to go to Deggendorf twice for three weeks. We also hosted three students, who stayed with us for about a month. When we traveled to Germany it fell around the time of the 'Abitur' exams, so for a few days we spent some time in Prague or a neighboring area while our counterparts studied or took the exam.
How did you perceive the school in Germany?
The first thing that struck me was that the campus was in the heart of the city and part of a beautiful prewar building. Coming from suburban Colorado, there wasn’t anything particularly special about our cinderblock school buildings. The classes themselves felt a little more formal and somewhat lecture based, but that may have been dependent on the classes we chose to join. However, the most noticeable difference was the amount of independence and responsibility that German students have - to study and get themselves to school. There was less oversight, and the responsibility was shifted to the student. Perhaps this allows students to have a different preparation for a collegiate experience later in life.
Aside from the World Cup in 2006, were there other moments that you remember very well from that trip?
We were there in the summer, so ‘Volksfest’ was taking place. Not just in Deggendorf, but all the neighboring towns had their own mini summer festivals. Just as many Americans imagine as the quintessential ‘German’ experience - everyone comes together eating, drinking, and singing. I really enjoyed learning the cultural songs, traditions, and costumes. I remember my host grandmother was horrified (jokingly) that I was to attend Volksfest, and I did not have a traditional ‘Dirndl’. They were kind enough to buy one for me to wear. Honestly, I wish I still fit into it; it is so beautiful. I appreciated that they truly wanted to share that authentic experience with me.
What did you enjoy about German lifestyle or culture?
I appreciated the accessibility and independence that students were given. Both of my host families were too far for me to walk to school, but there was a city bus that came by, even on very rural roads. We didn’t have to rely on the school or a parent for transportation. The city was put together in a way that afforded us easy accessibility around town and that further fostered our independence.
How do you think this experience has shaped your path both professionally and personally?
This was the first time I had traveled independently. Even though we were with a school group, we were still on our own with our host families, getting ourselves to school and discovering how to do things on your own. We weren’t tourists. We were very integrated into our host families and the school in a way you wouldn’t be on a vacation. Learning about other cultures in that way impacted my decision to join the Peace Corps after I finished college. And now, it continues to influence my interest to support international education and exchange programs. I still work with students all over the world. Young adults now are more open to traveling abroad at a younger age because the world seems much more accessible. I am happy to see that they are interested in having that experience.
What advice would you give to someone about to embark on the GAPP program?
Be flexible and ready to feel a little uncomfortable - that is how you learn. Just because you have taken lessons in the language, the history or policy, you shouldn’t walk into the program with preconceived assumptions. At times we are led to believe that German’s are more closed and serious, but I found they were all fairly friendly to answering and asking questions. Be open and soak everything up from your experience – it helped me in all my future travels. You can expect that there will be times that you may not know how to handle an exact situation in a new environment. How do I navigate this bus system? Even asking your host family or a local in potentially imperfect German helps you to learn, not only more authentic German, but also to expand your personal boundaries of what is possible.
