What did you do this summer? Most students worked, watched Netflix, went to camp, summer school or vacation. Karl Montoya [12], on the other hand, went on a summer abroad in Germany. Berlin, Niederalteich, Brussels, Bonn, Munich, and Maastricht.

Karl has been  interested in German since he was six years old, when he found out when he was fifty percent German. He became interested by the traditions and heritage he was surrounded by. His family celebrates St. Nicholas Day, which is a day where children put a boot outside their front door on December 5 and on December 6 the boot is filled with candy and sweets. They also have a German flag and eat Schnitzel, Spätzle and popular german foods he also stays in touch with family in germany.   

Montoya heard about the Experiment in International Living program from his German teacher, Herr Kerth. In past years this program was only for kids at LHS, but this year they did not have enough applicants’ so it was opened it up to VHHS as well.

He loved the city of Berlin.  “I really loved the home style aspect,” he said. “The entire time I was there the objective was to have a good time.”

“I was expecting the normal sounds of honking cars, and screeching railways to be echoing the cities,” he said, but the city was quiet and peaceful

His German skills served him well.  In the north he could understand every one fine, but in Bavaria he had a hard time with the thick accent.    

The theme of the trip was contemporary politics and the European Union. During the trip Montoya went to two schools. One was in Berlin and it was called Johanne-Ecke Schule, hosted refugees from Europe, Africa, and Asia. He got to work with the children in the school. He also went to a school in Niederalteich. This was a private Catholic school.       
 “I would like to get a minor in German” Montoya said, and he is also hoping to attend a college in Germany.  Some colleges in Germany that he wants to apply to are Touro College in Berlin, The Free University of Berlin, and The Goethe-Institute.