German Major Chris Pignato to Teach in the Alpine Town of Imst in 2012-2013.

The Austrian-American Educational Commission in Vienna, in conjunction with the Austrian Fulbright Commission, has awarded Chris Pignato a teaching position in the town Imst, Austria, for the coming year.  Chris will be living just minutes from the university city of Innsbruck in the beautiful alpine mountains.  Chris is excited about this award and about teaching in Europe: "I am hoping to learn a lot about this part of Austria after having lived in Salzburg for fall term my junior year.  I will be teaching  in two different schools and will have time to explore Southern Germany, Switzerland and Italy as well.  It's a dream come true."  
             Congratulations Chris!  This is an honor well deserved.  We are proud of you.

CSB/SJU Hosts State High School Awards Banquet

  On Saturday April 28 forty of Minnesota's most accomplished high school students of German gathered with their teachers and families to be honored at the Saint John's/ Saint Ben's awards banquet.  More than 650 Minnesota students took the written exams.  Those placing in the 90th percentile also participated in oral interviews at the College of Saint Benedict on February 25.  Saint John's Preparatory was awarded a $2,025 scholarship from the Max Kade Foundation to be used for sumemr courses at Concordia Language Villages.  Kelsey Murphy of Moundsview Senior High was awarded national honors and a all-expenses paid trip to Germany.

Pictured L to R in the Great Hall: Kelsey Murphy (awarded a trip to Germany), Leyla Soykan, Jessica Trost (German teacher), and John Spear, Mounds View High School

Megan Boettcher to Work and Study in Germany Starting End of May

  I will depart for my Swiss adventure on Sunday, May 20 and will arrive in Zürich, Switzerland on Monday, May 21. That is when my immersion into the German-speaking culture will begin. Luckily, two of the families have young girls which may help ease me into mainly speaking German, since they are somewhat learning to speak as well and are used to repeating themselves. It will also greatly challenge me because they probably only speak German and that is the only way I will be able to communicate with them. Plus, one of the girls is 7 and can already speak in full sentences, which will propose a major challenge for me, but I am up for whatever I need to do in order to further learn the German language.
    As for continuing my schooling in Germany, I know that it will be a great challenge but I am willing to take it on and do my best to study in my second language. I hope to be admitted into an art school and explore subject matter that may be better accepted in the European culture. Even though I want to challenge myself and push my German-speaking boundaries, I realize that the language barrier may propose some problems and I am willing to take longer to complete my education than I originally would have in the United States, if necessary. I truly hope this ideal of going to college in Germany works out so I can broaden my horizons and spend the next years of my life abroad!