Columbia High School recently hosted students from the community’s German sister city, this serving as the 17th time the exchange has brought Gedern students to the U.S. to test their English, experience Midwest culture and make friendships that could last a lifetime.

This year’s group of 25 students arrived March 26 and departed April 13, spending just over two weeks staying with their host families in Columbia.

The trip involves a fair amount of sightseeing around the area, though a strong emphasis is placed on the Gedern teens experiencing life as an American student and simply enjoying time with and getting to know their hosts.

Fiona Weckeiser, Nico Matuschewski, Leon Oberheim and Sina Günther were among the visiting students, and they offered their thoughts on what things were like from their side of the exchange.

These young Germans shared a variety of reasons for wanting to participate in the exchange in the first place.

Weckeiser and Oberheim noted how they have met folks who participated in the exchange previously, long having an interest in experiencing American culture themselves.

Matuschewski likewise voiced his interest in seeing the cultural differences, and Günther said she’d anticipated the exchange ever since she’d heard about it from her English teacher.

“I wanted to see the actual cultural differences,” Matuschewski said. “You oftentimes, or we at least, speak about globalization and how most places have similar lifestyles. I was just curious to see about that. Also, I wanted to see how my actual English would hold up to a normal daily life.”

They each also offered their thoughts on some of the cultural differences they encountered during their stay – particularly stressing the distinctions between American and German schools.

A consensus among the students was that things were notably more strict back home, with Weckeiser saying school in Columbia was more like a family, Matuschewski identifying that students talk far more casually with their teachers here and Oberheim saying the whole structure of the school day was different as they were used to having breaks through the day, getting out much earlier and spending more time on fewer subjects.

Regarding other differences, Günther pointed to the larger American meal portion sizes and openness, saying people here were far more willing to strike up a conversation. Weckeiser also commented on water being free at school.

In recounting their exchange experience, each student placed special emphasis on the time spent with their host family.

Günther particularly spoke about getting to know her family’s grandmother, celebrating her 90th birthday and forming a special connection with her as she came to the U.S. from Germany.

“I think it was really fun talking to her and about her experience because I think it’s really scary, the thought of going to a country where you don’t know a single word of the language,” Günther said. “I think she’s a really strong person and has a great personality.”

The others also spoke highly about the experiences with their host families, with Oberheim recalling a trip they took to St. Louis for a Cardinals baseball game, Weckeiser speaking on an aquarium and zoo trip and Matuschewski describing how musical his family was, frequently playing instruments at home.

With these great experiences with their host families and others they met during the time spent here, the students also agreed in their hopes to keep in touch going forward.

Weckeiser said a benefit from the trip was getting to experience a big taste of independence, but she’s also keen to maintain the relationships made during the trip.

“I’m really looking forward to keeping in contact with my host family, especially my exchange student because we really get along very well,” Weckeiser said. “I also made a lot of friends outside of school and met so many people that just came up to me and were talking to me. I hope to keep contact with them.”

Matuschewski likewise said he hopes to keep in touch, especially as he looks forward to his host student visiting Germany next year.

Günther said she is interested in returning to Columbia for a full year as a student, keeping the connections she’s already made going.

Oberheim also hopes to keep in touch, having already gotten to know some Columbia students during their visit to Gedern last year.

“Some people I already knew them when I came here because they were in Germany last year,” Oberheim said. “I’m glad that we had that contact until now, and I hope that we will keep that contact when I’m back in Germany again. I hope also that I can keep the contact with my host student and my host family because I really got to know them well, and we really came together.”

The students had only good things to say about their experience during the exchange, and their teachers similarly discussed how beneficial the program has proven to be over the 32 years it’s been running.

Britta Schäfer-Clarke is the teacher currently overseeing the German side of this exchange. She was joined by Andreas Heuser, who served in this role for 30 years and enjoyed his last student exchange visit this year as a chaperone.

Schäfer-Clarke spoke about the development she’s seen in her students as they have spent time in Columbia, echoing Weckeiser’s sentiments about independence.

“I enjoy most seeing them becoming very independent, taking things into their own hands, being responsible, very responsible, and becoming more and more self-confident,” Schäfer-Clarke said. “They grow while they’re here. In the beginning, we had a few who were a bit homesick, but that sort of was all done with after three days. Everyone settled in very quickly.”

Heuser also spoke about the students’ growth but also placed emphasis on the cultural exchange aspect of the program, pointing to the importance of exposing oneself to different cultures and – most importantly – different people.

“It’s really wonderful to see how well the students can communicate after all we have taught them during their time in Gedern,” Heuser said. “It’s just wonderful to see that. This student exchange is very important, more in these days. A lot of people asked us ‘You really want to go to the U.S. now, in these days, with these political differences?’ And I say of course we want to. It’s one thing to learn about the U.S. and learn about Germany through the media, but if you know people personally, you say, ‘Oh, I know how they are. I know people. I know not everyone is like how you see on TV because I have friends there, and they are good.’”

CHS German Teacher Taylor Nickerson also offered his perspective on the other side of the exchange, expressing a sentiment along the same lines as Heuser.

“I think at a base level, meeting new people, making new friends, meeting people that have grown up in a different culture than their own, I think it’s important,” Nickerson said. “As a language teacher, to be selfish, for some students, it gives them a motivation to continue to want to learn the language and the culture because now it’s not something from out of a book. It’s real life.”

The exchange is expected to continue next year as CHS students travel to Germany, though Columbia will soon be getting another German visit – with Heuser joining – as the Sister Cities organizations continue their adult exchange program this summer.