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“Mom, I want to go to Korea.” If you said this to your mom, would she just laugh and shake her head? Just because the opportunity may not be available now, that doesn’t mean it won’t present itself later on. In fact, it’s common for students to study abroad, leaving their homes to go to new countries and have life-changing experiences.
Alexis Smith is one of these lucky students who will take a step into the unknown. In the year 2014, Alexis will be leaving Bob Jones in order to spend her senior year studying in Russia. Still going through the application process with AFS, an intercultural program that sends culture seekers to various locations, she seems all too eager to leave. “It’s going to be so much fun!” she said.
Currently, a former Bob Jones student, Alexis Helton, is serving her senior year as a student in Hessen, Germany, setting the stage for Miss Smith. Helton shares her intriguing experiences through her blog, http://alexishelton.blogspot.com/. In the blog, she describes her emotions and thoughts as she experiences them in her new environment, sharing insight on what it’s like to go through the program. If the experience of studying abroad weren’t cool enough, she’s getting paid to do it!
Funding by Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program (CBYX) allows students to familiarize themselves with the German culture. Good grades and motivation are the main requirements. You don’t even have to know how to speak German to apply!
Mrs. Bruni, the German teacher, encourages students to engage in such programs. She speaks from her own travels to France, where she acquired her M.A. French Education, using the scholarship she received from Auburn University. “Students should work hard to get there. It was an amazing experience,” said Mrs. Bruni. Even now, she cites it as a valuable experience that positively impacts her everyday life and teaching career.
Anyone even slightly interested in this life-changing experience should seize the opportunity. If you have any questions you can ask Mrs. Bruni or go to the following websites:
Official AFS-USA http://www.afsusa.org
Official Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange http://www.usagermanyscholarship.org
