Interviewed by Susan Curnow Breedlove, Community Liaison
What motivated you to apply to be an exchange student?
I wanted to get the experience of a new culture. I also liked the idea of getting to know a second family and community during this year. And ever since I was young, I always wanted to travel the world.
Tell us about the steps to apply to be an exchange student.
First, you have to decide which exchange organization you want to travel with. Then you figure out which country and sort of program, public, private school or boarding school, you want to go to. After this you have to write a really long application so that a school and host family will give you a home for the year.
Did you choose to come to Minnesota, to Camden High?
No, I could only choose that I wanted to go to the U.S. Then my exchange organization tried to find a school that matched me.
Describe your host family.
My host family is really sweet and open. I have two little host sisters, my host parents, a host grandmother, and a lot of pets. From the beginning they welcomed me and have given me the best possible support.
What activities and holidays are celebrated by your host family that you will be a part of?
My host family celebrates things like Christmas, Easter and Halloween, which we celebrate in Germany, too. We are celebrating these in pretty similar ways. However, for us in Germany we open Christmas presents on the evening of the 24th so waiting until the 25th will be a change. The only completely new thing will possibly be Thanksgiving and I am already pretty excited for this.
Name some advantages of being an exchange student.
It is so cool to get to know a whole new community and make a lot of new experiences. It is also a year where you don’t have to focus on school so much because the grades are not counting in your home country. It is also a good feeling to be able to start like a whole new life with new opportunities where no one knows you.
Name some disadvantages of being an exchange student.
It can be pretty hard, especially in the beginning, because everything and everyone is new, and you have to handle this on your own. It is also hard that you have to speak English the whole time. Then you will, of course, miss your family and friends back in your home country and just the lifestyle you had there. At the end it can be hard when you return to your home country because you missed a lot of stuff, many things and people will have changed, and you have to catch up in school.
What do you find unique about Camden High School? How is it different from your home school?
I think the biggest difference is that most of the people at this school are so open-minded and just more self-confident which makes school way more fun. It is more a community than only a place to study.
What do you like about your Camden High school experience so far? What do you dislike?
I really like how supportive my teachers are and how the students welcomed me. I am also a fan of the many opportunities of activities at this school. One of my highlights was the Homecoming Week because we don’t have that in Germany. What I don’t like so much is how many problems we have with fighting students and that the Camden High School is sometimes so chaotic.
Which school activities are you participating in and what do you like about them?
I am part of the drama club. I really like the group feeling there and the different ways you can participate. I am in a class in which we are producing the Camden News Hour for announcements and on-line and creating the yearbook.
Name some favorite leisure activities of yours in Minnesota.
I really like the Mall of America. It is kind of difficult for me to get from place to place because of the bad public transportation so I have had not so many opportunities to explore the city yet.
Describe your home family (parents, siblings, extended family, pets) and your family activities.
My real family includes my two little brothers and my parents. We travel a lot with a camper to European countries and are almost always busy with different activities. When we have some quiet time, we love to play board games like Cluedo together.
Tell about your high school in Berlin. Its size. Its curriculum. It’s activities.
My high school in Berlin is not so big, about 800 students, but the education is pretty good. We don’t really have after-school activities because it is only a place of learning. The whole system is pretty different than here. First, high school starts with 7th grade. Second, we can’t choose our classes because we stay in one group of students the whole time and the different teachers come to us. Also, we have a different schedule for each day and around 14 different classes each semester.
Describe your community/city and some activities you enjoy back in Berlin.
Berlin as a city is really big, open-minded, and is just a party night-life city. But the part where I come from is not like this; it is a more well-mannered community. I belong to Scouts with a group of friends from all over the city and I have a friend group from my school that is pretty different. We have a lot of different activities in Berlin, like big shopping malls, cinemas, concerts, the Technic Museum, and way more. I like going to concerts to see my artist friend who plays pop and political music.
What do you see as the principal benefit to the world of student exchange programs?
I think it is really important and encouraging that we connect people over the whole world and let them get the experience of different cultures. Only with this mindset will we grow and be able to all work together on our future.
What plans or goals are you considering for your future?
I want to be part of a social abroad program after my graduation. After this I want to study event management so that I can get with artists who are on tour and be able to see more of the world.
Note: Camden High School has hosted many exchange students over the years including students from Italy and Switzerland during the 2023-2024 school year.