Learning abroad

It’s easy to stereotype people living in other countries until you live there with them. Then your eyes are opened and you see everyone might not be like you originally thought.

That’s what happened with some students in Waynesboro, Augusta County and Staunton during the past year.

Eleven students from Germany arrived in the area in July and began a school year away from home.

“I came with open views not knowing what to expect,” said Markus Stracke, a 16-year-old who hails from a town called Remscheid, near Cologne. “I made my views here, not before.” Stracke is torn over going back to his country.

“I want to see my family but it will be hard leaving my friends and [host] family,” he said. “But I’ll keep in touch.”
Stracke said that was the best part of his experience: meeting new people and friends.

Izzy Seyfarth, 18, agreed with him. She doesn’t want to return to Germany except to have a small vacation, before she would return and go to college.
“I’m thinking about going to the University of Richmond,” Seyfarth said. “I looked at Blue Ridge [Community] College and they don’t have what I want.” Seyfarth is contemplating a career in journalism.

Stracke is also considering college but isn’t sure whether or not he wants to attend in Germany or the United States, nor is he sure about what he’d like to study, but is drawn to elementary education or international peacemaking.

One thing that is evident in talking with Stracke and Seyfarth, they have enjoyed their study abroad program.

“The kids networked and made friends everywhere,” said World Heritage representative Lori Pullen, of Staunton. “It doesn’t take them long to make friends.”
Pullen, who has two daughters herself (one just graduated from Grace Christian High School this year and the other is a rising junior), said she got into the WH program because she saw an ad for it and applied.

“It is interesting work,” said Pullen, who has a social work degree and background. “It’s a people-oriented job and I like that. It’s right up my alley.
“Right now, I’m busy finding host families for next year. Looks like I’m hooked.”

The program already has two students approved to visit: one from Russia and one from Denmark, though students come from countries all over the world, Pullen said.

Beth Tipton, of Waynesboro, is another person hooked on exchange students. She and her family have hosted students for about 10 years. Their first student, also from Germany, is now in a doctoral program and recently stopped in for a visit. Tipton said they enjoy hosting visitors so much that she was even trying to find beds for some of the 28 Waynesboro Generals baseball players that were coming into town.

“Yeah, we enjoy having people around,” Tipton, a mother of four with two still in high school, said. “It’s fun every day to have them around. It’s really a great experience.”

Isis Wagner couldn’t agree more.

The 17-year-old, who has traveled abroad before with her mother and father to countries such as Spain, Egypt and France, was nervous when she thought about meeting her host family before she arrived in the U.S. and it concerned her when she realized that she’d made this huge decision to leave home for an entire year.

“You don’t know them and you’re going to live with them for a year. But I am lucky. I couldn’t have a better host family, they are perfect,” Wagner said.
Besides English and other classes, students are encouraged to participate in volunteer work and have gotten involved in afterschool activities.

Stracke joined the Lee rocket club and other students played tennis, tried out for the step team or other activities. Additionally, the WH program requires that they participate in one cultural event. Pullen took a group to Washington, D.C., a student to a rodeo in Lexington and two others to a Lexington art event where they worked on pottery.

“It was a great opportunity. It went too fast. I will keep in touch with the friends I have made,” Seyfarth said.
Wagner concurred.

“There have been so many good experiences. I’m not ready to go home yet. I love it over here and I don’t want to leave it,” Wagner said.
“It gets me upset to think about it,” she said. “During the last eight days, I’m going to cry.”