Sydney Juska- Germany

After hosting a German exchange student for two weeks in the fall, Sydney Juska jumped at the chance to visit the country of her new friend for ten months. Though she has visited Germany for a two week stay before, studying in a foreign country for almost an entire year will be an entirely new experience.

“I was shaking so hard when they gave me the [acceptance] letter,” Juska said. “I didn’t cry, though. I kept it together.”

After getting over the initial shock and excitement of her acceptance into the International Friendship program, Juska has had time to process differences that will occur in her life next year.
“[The scariest part] will be the first two weeks, when I know zero German and I’m still adjusting,” she said.

Thought she will miss her friends and family, Juska will also miss the smaller comforts of American life.

“When I was [in Germany] for two weeks, the snack foods were really different,” she said. “[In Germany], if I get home from school and I want potato chips, they’re going to be different.”

Taylor Young- Spain

For Taylor Young, the experience of going to Spain for a full year is much more than a chance to simply learn a new culture; this aspiring principal is also looking forward to seeing the differences in educational systems around the world.

“If I’m a principal, I think it’s really important that I know how other districts teach their students,” Young said.

Young’s trip to Spain will be a special experience for more than the learning opportunities it presents.
“Nolan [Marett] and I wanted to study abroad together, and the whole time we were saying that it would be cool if we could both [go] together, and we didn’t think that it would happen,” she said. However, Young and Marett were surprised when they found out that they were both selected to study in Spain for a year.

“It’s like a dream come true,” said Young. Though Young and Marett will not be living in the same city (Young is going abroad through AFS Intercultural Programs, while Marett’s stay is courtesy of the International Friendship Committee), the two are excited that they will both be experiencing much of the same culture.

“Nolan and I text in Spanish,” said Young.

Despite the presence of a friend in the same country, Young will miss much about her life in America.

“I’m going to miss the Knight Crier, and I’m going to miss all of my friends, and of course I’m going to miss my mom the most.”

Next year, Young will be writing about her Spanish experiences in a blog on the Knight Crier.

Brittany Van Strien- France

Though her yearlong trip abroad will mark the first time that she’s left the country, future French exchange student Brittany Van Strien is eagerly anticipating her upcoming journey.

“I’ve wanted to go to France since 8th grade,” Van Strien proudly proclaimed, brimming with excitement at the prospect of experiencing the French culture for ten months. Though she will miss her friends and family back home in America, the excitement of a new country overshadows the nervousness she feels towards leaving behind a familiar culture.

The process of applying to study abroad is lengthy for all applicants, but it was especially time consuming for Van Strien, who, due the volume of applications the International Friendship Committee received, had to go through two sets of interviews to receive that coveted acceptance letter.

“[When I found out I was accepted] I was speechless,” explained Van Strien. “I couldn’t say anything. I tried saying thank you but it wouldn’t come out.”
As she experiences a new life in a new culture, Van Strien will be documenting her journey in her blog, www.fromlansdaletotoulouse.tumblr.com.

Jackie Bumgarner- Japan

As North Penn’s first exchange student selected to study abroad in Japan for an entire year, Jackie Bumgarner is excited to experience a new culture that is literally a world away. In the first year that the opportunity to go to Japan was offered as part of the year-long exchange program, she was eager to seize the opportunity to go where no North Penn exchange student had gone before.

“I love the Japanese culture and I really just wanted to do something crazy,” Bumgarner said of her decision to go to Japan. “I’m glad I [decided to go].”

Bumgarner is certainly grateful for the opportunity that the International Friendship Committee has provided her.

“I said thank you about a billion times [when they told me I was going],” she said.

With the support of her parents, Bumgarner will immerse herself in the very different daily experiences of Japan. Though life in the Far East will provide an exciting new challenge to her, she will miss the people she leaves behind in the United States.

“I’m going to miss my family and my friends and my dogs,” Bumgarner said.

Nolan Marett

Marett freaked out when he found out he was going to be studying abroad in Spain. This experience was meant for him, he said because he “loves Spanish culture, traveling, and being able to see the rest of the world.”

It’s going to be a bittersweet adventure, however, because he’s eager to travel, but hesitant to leave behind all of his friends. All in all, Marett can‘t wait to see what his new city has in store for him as he meets new people, wanders the cities, and discovers new places.

Leanne Spiegle

Spiegle had thought about being an exchange student for years because she wanted to experience the German culture. Now that she’s actually been selected to study in Germany, it has yet to sink in.

She’s always been intrigued by Germany, so Spiegle is excited “to see how different [Germany] is from America.” It’s going to be hard for her to leave behind her parents and her dog, but Spiegle’s thrilled to have the opportunity to learn German customs and meet new people.