Vorbemerkung
Willkommen. My name is Matt Cohen, and I am currently a sophomore at North Penn High School. About a month and a half ago, I received a letter saying that I would be able to spend my junior year abroad in Aalen, Germany. At North Penn, through its International Friendship Committee, or IFC, the school takes part in exchange programs with sister schools around the globe. These partnerships have been going on for more than thirty years. This year, through the IFC, we had five options: Madrid in Spain, Toulouse and Bordeaux in France, and Salzgitter and Aalen in Germany. From the start, I wanted to go to Germany. The main reasons are that my family is from Germany, I’ve been taking German for the past three years, and four years ago, my sister was turned down from the program, and I wanted to go for her. The entire process started in early winter of last year. A PowerPoint was sent around and shown in the language classes about the exchange program. Then in December there was a meeting that went into depth about the opportunities for those who were interested in the program and what it would take to be considered. Possible applicants had to fill out a thirteen page application filled with medical records, demographics, and interests. In addition to that, we needed to get teacher recommendations from all of the major teachers we have, five candid photos showing interests, a transcript, and a self-portrait styled essay.. All this was due Friday, January 13th. Luckily, I got most of the stuff finished before winter break. The teacher recommendations were the easiest part, except the one I needed from my math teacher. He didn't want to write a recommendation just about me as a student, but as a person. He had me write up an evaluation about myself before he would start writing up the recommendation. Looking back on it, I’m glad he had me write the self-evaluation because it made the essay easier. It still was hard to come up with the words though. Let’s just say I spent the majority of my time in Florida during winter break staring at a screen trying to figure out what I wanted to day for the essay. After the due date for the applications went; about three weeks of waiting until the dreaded interview. I’ve never been good at public speaking so I thought I would botch my chances then and there. The Interview was in the first week of February. There a group of seven adults who asked me questions about my interests, why I think I would make a good exchange student, and more. It was a good thing that I already knew three of them, because that made the interview less intimidating. I was in the room for ten to fifteen minutes, and then it was my parent’s turn.The interviewers asked them questions like would they let me go, am I mentally stable, and if they were okay with hosting another student. The door was thin, so I could hear a little of what they were saying. Ten seconds in, all I heard was laughing. They were in there for less than ten minutes. My parents and I thought the evening went well. I heard the next day that right after the interview, they put the applicants into three pile: yes, no, and maybe. That made me doubt myself a bit, but I also heard that only thirty people applied for the five spots, which boosted my confidence. I also talked with former exchange students to get the gist of what it was like for them in the program in case if I got chosen. And a week and a half later, I was called down o the office during second period. I had no idea what this was for until I walked in. Once there, I saw Mrs. McGuriman, Herr Baker, and Mr. Knauss, the three people I knew before the interview. They handed me a letter and had smiles on their faces. They said congratulations, and I knew I got into the program. I’m pretty sure my heart skipped a beat or two, but I couldn’t tell. When I got home, I decided to play a little trick on my mom. I pretended that I hadn’t opened the letter and did not know if I was selected or not. She read the first paragraph, and her face was sullen because it was the same opening paragraph that opened in my sister's letter. Then she got to the second paragraph, and she was amazed and so was my dad. Then I told my mom’s mom, whom I call Oma, and she was bouncing off the wall. Once I told my other grandma, she called me spoiled, which I sort of agree with her. Her reasoning behind that comment was that in this one one year, I have these chances to do things that she did not have growing up. But when opportunity comes knocking at the door, you need to take it, because you never know when something amazing will be possible. All I can say now is that I’m glad that I applied, because I have met so many great people that I would have most likely never have met if I hadn't. I don’t leave for a few months, but I wholeheartedly cannot wait.
Bis später! -Matt
