This summer, Pender Early College student Lauryn Markus got the opportunity to travel to Germany for a month-long study abroad program with the Council for International Exchange, or CIEE. The experience immersed Markus and peers from across the country in the culture and daily life of several German cities, including Berlin, Brandenburg, and Potsdam. Markus’ first comments on the trip were how sad she was to leave because of how much she loved it and how different it was from life here. The trip not only developed her German language skills and cultural understanding, but made a lasting impression on Markus’ personal goals and outlook.
Over the course of the program, Markus stayed with a host family near Berlin and mostly studied at the CIEE main campus, but was able to travel to the nearby cities of historic Brandenburg and public transportation-friendly Potsdam. After commuting to the main campus, a typical day included many opportunities for learning, exploration, and application. Each day started with several hours of intensive language classes, with short breaks in between. Then, students were given the opportunity to apply these language skills by having conversations with locals in the community in German about certain topics or tasks. To end the day with some cultural exploration, students went on group excursions to local historical monuments or tourist attractions and were given the chance to explore individually after.
Through these activities, Markus developed her language skills and cultural knowledge enough to comfortably survive in Berlin and notice unique cultural differences from her home country. For example, Markus noted a strong cultural focus on punctuality, with many living by the motto “If you’re early you’re on time, if you’re on time you’re late”. This was one of several impactful lessons she brought home with her to keep living by.
For Markus, studying abroad taught her a new language and showed her lots of beautiful places, but it also opened her eyes to more at home. Living abroad made Markus more extroverted and inspired her to reach for even bigger goals, like studying Aerospace Engineering at MIT. It’s amazing to see how this trip influenced one of our students to dream bigger, and hopefully the lessons learned in Germany and here at PECHS will help push her to MIT and beyond.
This kind of impact is what our school hopes to accomplish by focusing on education both in and outside of the classroom and by providing opportunities for all students to see where they could go and what they could do. Markus’ experience engaging with a different language and culture shows the importance of curiosity and dedication for all students here at PECHS.