Reflections from Aaron S.

About three years ago, I received a highly anticipated letter in the mail; a letter that, at the time of its arrival, seemed to contain my future neatly folded and stamped with a familiar insignia of a lancer.  This letter was my course registration for my freshman year at Kennedy Catholic High School.  I was not faced with too many decisions as to which classes would be appropriate to enroll for; however, one category did pique my interest and stimulate my brain enough to ruffle the neatly groomed feathers of my sense of educational security: world language.  Other than a brief Japanese education during the first four years of my life, I had not been familiarized with the idea of studying a foreign language, and therefore did not have a sure sense as to where to turn.  The basis for my decision rested on a couple of observations: I could not take Spanish simply because everyone takes Spanish and I did not see any logical reason to devote a portion of my education to a dead language such as Latin, for I knew I wanted to learn a new language to expand, not isolate, my communication skills into other parts of the world.  By excluding these two, I was left with only two other options: French and German.  For a while I was entirely neutral between these two languages, until one day I discovered a crucial factor that would lead me to make a decision: the French department does not have an exchange program; the German department does.  So a few years passed; years full of laughter, tears, and farts in the German department at Kennedy Catholic High School, until the next thing we knew, it was our turn to participate in the GAPP program.  And now, as the exchange is coming to a close, I can whole-heartedly admit that although each program is individually successful, the combination of the Kennedy German department and the GAPP program is one that allows a student to be fully immersed in German culture, both through the excitement of hosting and the adventure of travelling to Germany. 

When the Germans arrived in Seattle, we were all squirming with anxiety.  Questions swirled around our minds about whether we will be able to get along with them or if we will even be able to fluently communicate with them.  Although resistant at first, we soon realized that having acquired three years of German education, this would be a perfect opportunity for us to expand our knowledge of the German language.  It was not long before we realized that language was not a major obstacle between us and the Germans, though it did help immensely that many of the Germans practically spoke flawless English.  Nonetheless, we were still able to practice our German, but more importantly, we created friendships that have the potential to last a lifetime.  With the thought in mind that we would see them again only weeks from their departure, we said our farewells to the Germans and sent them off, anxious to experience the second half of the exchange. 

Finally, the time came for us to venture out into the mystical land we had heard so much about: Germany.  From day one, I immediately felt welcomed by my host’s heart-warming hospitality, and before I knew it, I felt at home.  Not trying to become overwhelmed, I initially spoke as little German as possible, but after I had settled in over a couple of days, I realized this was prime time to apply anything and everything I had learned in German class to real life.  No matter where we were, whether we were in Munich, Berlin, Cologne, Aachen, Nuremburg, or even with our hosts in Markt Schwaben, I realized over and over again how three years of occasionally-endless school work paid off, for I now felt if not a part of the German culture, then at least immersed in it.  A time in which I was especially grateful for my education of the German language was during the scavenger hunt in Berlin, where we broke off into groups in order to fight tooth, nail, and hoof in a quest to find a series of landmarks throughout the massive city.  The hunt often required us to converse with strangers, some of which did not speak English, allowing us to practice our German in real-life situations.  These are moments I will remember the rest of my life and improved my knowledge of both German language and culture. 

If there were to be one main aspect of the relationship between the German department at Kennedy and the GAPP program that I have witnessed through this exchange, it would be this: the German department benefits from the GAPP program by allowing its students to experience German culture first-hand and apply what they have learned to daily situations.  Through the opportunity to engage in an exchange such as this one, students become more worldly and open to experience the places and people around them, even in a foreign country.  I hope this exchange continues to thrive throughout the Kennedy High School German department for years to come, so that future students may experience the immersion that I have had the opportunity to be a part of over the last month, and so they may become more aware of the world around them, starting with Germany. 

 –Aaron Spieldenner