After a three year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, German students returned for a two-week stay with WS host families as part of the school’s annual German exchange program.
The students from Nuremberg stayed with the families of students in the German language program from late October to mid-November before going to New York City for three days. While in Virginia, they attended school, went sightseeing in Washington D.C., and spent time with host families.
“It’s always fun to have a guest in the house,” said parent Harriet Cohen, who hosted Almut Müller. “Our student has never been to the United States before, so we really enjoyed introducing her to all things American, like pumpkin carving, Halloween, and some serious junk food.”
While at school, the students got a glimpse of the American high school experience by shadowing their host sibling throughout their classes.
“My exchange student took a day or two to get used to the time zone and school schedule, but besides that, he’s been fitting in very well not only with our family’s routine but also with my friends and the people in my classes,” said senior Zachary Masaitis, who hosted Ben Kazić.
In addition to the excitement experienced by exchange students, host families also found the program to be an invigorating change of pace.
“We get so bogged down with our day-to-day routine, we sometimes forget about all the good stuff that is around us,” said parent Ray Lattanzio, who hosted Lea Dawit. “Having a guest to show around actually makes you get out of the house and out of your routine.”
Coordinating the program entails rigorous planning and preparation every year before the arrival of the students. German teacher Katharina Fuerst has been the main organizer of the trip since 2017.
“It takes a lot of steps to get ready for the exchange,” said Fuerst. “The hardest part is the security check of all the host parents and getting them ready. Sometimes parents get extra scrutiny by the FBI [if they have the same name as a criminal] until they get cleared. Each year, we have several parents who get cleared only a few days before the guests arrive, which is very nerve-wracking.”
The program continues over the summer when American students go to Nuremberg for a similar two-week stay with the families of the students they hosted. They attend the school of their host siblings, Neues Gymnasium Nürnberg, and explore the city.
“My favorite part is taking the American students to Germany. It is so interesting to watch them explore a new world,” said Fuerst.
Due to the exchange’s international and diplomatic character, many students leave the program with new aspirations for life beyond high school.
“Here in our community I see our graduates move on to study abroad and later to high-profile jobs, maybe working at the Pentagon or the State Department,” said Fuerst. “That might have started for them with the exchange, which opened a window of possibilities and ideas.”
Fuerst attributes the program to not only opening up new horizons for participants, but also for establishing friendships that bypass borders and thousands of miles of distance.
“It is wonderful to see how many international friendships are forged in each exchange,” said Fuerst. “Sometimes lifelong friendships evolve and the exchange partners keep visiting each other later as grown-ups. They even come back and bring their families. So it really is a program that builds international connections.”
While the trip has since come to its conclusion, a new group of students will arrive at WS next fall. The program will be reannounced for anyone interested in hosting a student by the German department in the spring.
