German Major Jessica Raboin Offers Current Students Internships in Germany-- Applications due October 31.

Jessica Raboin

Name: Jessica Raboin
Year of Graduation: 2015
Major: Sociology

Minor: German Studies

 Link: Jessica Raboin Webpage

Dear CSB/SJU students!

After my high school exchange year in Germany, I had my eyes set on returning with the goal of working abroad after college graduation. During my time at CSB/SJU, I spent every summer in Germany—teaching English, volunteering, taking language classes, and ultimately, arranging and completing an independent internship at the German Federal Employment Agency. (http://www.csbsju.edu/career/students/exploringcareers/internprofiles/jessica-raboin). I had a truly transformative internship experience that solidified not only my chosen field and goal to work abroad after graduation, but also finished the internship equipped with advanced linguistic and field knowledge.

After graduating from Saint Ben’s with a degree in sociology and minor in German Studies, I spent a summer learning Turkish in Ankara with the Critical Language Scholarship. Instead of returning with the group to the U.S. at the end of the program, I got off the plane during our layover in Munich. I first taught English in Austria, but within two months, had received two job offers—one from the agency I had interned at, and one from a university. I’ve been working at the University of Augsburg as an International Scholars Advisor for a year now.  I am so happy that I put in the extra time, money, and effort during college to prepare myself for getting off that plane in Munich after graduation. I took a huge risk, and it has had huge personal and professional returns!

I want more CSB/SJU students to benefit from a similar, career-driven internship experience and also wanted to give back to the CSB/SJU community. Therefore, I worked with the Office for Education Abroad to offer summer internships in Germany that I coordinate here in Augsburg. Students must have at least four semesters of coursework completed in their major and be interested in doing an internship directly related to their field of study. This program is for the adventurous, career-driven student looking for a tailor-made internship experience here in Germany. There is still time to apply until October 31, 2016! If students have any questions about the internship program, please have them contact Annika Turner in the OEA.

Current Position/Name of Organization:
Visiting Scholars Advisor/Welcome Service for International Visiting Scholars, University of Augsburg, Germany

Please give a brief description of your position and what it involves.
I advise international visiting scholars about everything having to do with completing a research stay here in Augsburg, whether that be for a month or a couple of years. I coordinate the housing search and maintain and create relationships with landlords; plan and run events and excursions for the scholars and their families; create informational material in German and English; and manage the program statistics and evaluation.

What path did you follow to arrive at your current position?
I knew very early on into my college career that I wanted to work abroad, so I took the appropriate steps towards that goal: I arranged my own internship abroad; minored in German; and got acquainted with job application procedures, requirements, and standards in Germany in my field of interest. After I graduated, I took the leap and moved to Europe, without having any secure job prospects. I received two job offers within about a month of arriving - one from the agency where I had previously interned, and one from my current position in Augsburg.

What advice/suggestions would you have for students interested in working abroad?
Preparation is key. I spent my college years preparing for working abroad in Germany. It was (still is!) my dream and I didn't let any naysayers or doubters change my positive thinking or my long-shot plans.

However, I positioned myself well by:

Creating career-oriented experiences abroad: I absolutely suggest that students go abroad to the countries they want to possibly work in, and go with a purpose. A traditional study abroad semester just does not cut it anymore. Arrange your own internship with a company you would like to work for; conduct informational interviews while abroad; job shadow; go to networking events and conferences while abroad. Make your study abroad career-oriented, not tourism-oriented.

Mastering the language: Get your language skills on an amazing level. Even though my German is decent, I still take German classes, study vocabulary, and make mistakes. It is really cool if you can speak multiple languages, but if you cannot speak one at a professional level, the other languages won't do you any good.

What skills are most important?

First and foremost, flexibility and adaptability are crucial. Having patience and learning how to live with the unknowns are essential, because there are days when living and working abroad are simply challenging. As far as "hard" skills, I would say that computer and office skills (including computer programs in foreign languages!) are the most important. A bit of critical thinking suave and cultural/regional knowledge, including knowing the local dialect(s) doesn't hurt either.

Additionally, I believe that the Benedictine Values of listening, moderation, and stability are especially important for cultivating a holistic global life.

What are the most satisfying and rewarding parts of your position?
I really enjoy helping new scholars get adjusted to Germany. When I arrived in Germany for my high school exchange year, I didn't speak a lick of German. Everything was a challenge, every day a new adventure into the unknown. In my current position, I get to help scholars from around the world get situated and settled in Germany, oftentimes starting before they arrive. I also love that I can use much of what I learned from my coursework, student employment positions, and internships - it all comes together seamlessly in my job. Lastly, I get to work in my chosen field, abroad; ride my bike to work; and speak German every day. What's not to love?

What activities/experiences at CSB/SJU (and elsewhere) were helpful in preparing you for this position?
I knew I wanted to work in international higher education, so I used student employment positions to gain experience in education abroad, career services, residential life, etc. I also did internships, for example for the Minnesota Workforce Center. Together, these positions helped me make a mean college-graduate resume for higher education and played an important part in landing my current position. These positions were in hindsight immensely helpful with the college-to-career transition because of the various skills, time management practice, and professionalism I learned from my CSB/SJU supervisors. I do not think that the smooth transition into my job abroad - which has started my career - would've been possible without my on-campus work experiences.

Senior Ben Kollaja writes about his spring semester in Eichstätt, Bavaria

Dear Fellow Students at CSB/SJU,

I arrived in Eichstätt on Sunday, March 16th, 2014. My “tutor,” who was more like an assigned buddy to help me in my orientation process, picked me up from the train station and drove me to my apartment. The next morning I walked to the university to take a placement test for the three-week intensive language course which all international students take before the semester begins. The course started that same afternoon. After three weeks in the intensive language course I already felt that my German verbal fluency had more than doubled. The first week in Eichstätt there were events every evening for all 50-some international students to get to know each other, which allowed me to make friends quickly. I registered for courses one or two weeks before the start of the semester, which the academic advisors there helped me with. At KU Eichstätt, it is possible to take courses tailored towards international students, including courses taught in English (which I do not recommend), as well as the courses that native speakers take. I personally took only one course for international students, and three courses where I was the only international student in the class in order to challenge myself. German was the language of instruction in all the courses I selected, including a Czech class I audited for fun (a semester abroad is a great time to learn a third language)! A couple of the courses I signed up for were not recommended to me by the academic advisors and turned out to be a bit over my head. Thus, for most students, I would recommend you discuss every course you plan on registering for with the academic advising office. It also helps to talk to other international students and see which courses they are taking. Of course, if you really want to challenge yourself, any course offered at the university is available to you.

Because most courses at KU meet only once per week, most students spend much less time in class and much more time in the library studying. Overall, I would expect most Johnnies and Bennies will have much more free time in their semester in Eichstätt than they do in a normal semester. So that begs the question: what to do with all that free time? German universities do not have competitive athletic programs like American universities. However, KU Eichstätt offers intramural sport programs which meet once a week, and the selection of sports is large. I attended a Muay Thai course and played Ultimate Frisbee regularly, which I really enjoyed. Additionally, each major within the university has its own soccer team which competes for a cup in the spring/summer semester. The ERASMUS program (an exchange program for European students) also fields a team, and all international students are welcome to play on it. This is a good option for more competitively minded people, and the games are taken seriously. I made friends with international students from all over the world playing on the team. And if you like to run or lift weights, Eichstätt has a small weight room and beautiful running trails. The town is located in a valley, and the running trails encircle the valley and give you a wonderful view of the town below. If sports aren’t your thing, another option is to get involved in music or theater. KU has an orchestra, band, choir, and a theater department which are considered extracurricular activities. Having played in an orchestra all through high school, I decided to pick up the violin again and join the orchestra in Eichstätt for a semester. This was another great opportunity to meet locals and practice my German, all while getting to play beautiful music (Dvořák, Max Bruch, etc.).

In addition to offering athletic and artistic opportunities for students, the university does a great job of providing international students with events and travel opportunities to attend. Throughout the semester, there were four day-trips and one overnight excursion offered, and all of the day-trips were free of charge for international students. I attended all four of the free excursions, which included Regensburg (my favorite city in Germany), Rothenburg ob der Tauber, the Chiemsee, and Salzburg. These excursions were a great opportunity to travel within Bavaria and Austria at little to no cost, and I recommend all of them. I also recommend traveling on your own during the semester and/or doing pre or post-travel. I took two weekend trips to Munich with friends during the semester, one of which was for Frühlingsfest, essentially a smaller Oktoberfest that takes place in April. I also took a weekend trip to Prague with some other American students, and we found a cheap apartment to stay in on AirBnB. After the conclusion of the semester, I post-travelled with my sister and cousin in the Czech Republic, Austria and Croatia. If you plan on doing such a trip, I recommend traveling by train or inter-city (IC) bus because it is a great way to get to see the countryside. We traveled using Eurail passes, which allow you to travel to multiple countries within a 30-day period. These passes are not cheap, but for the amount of travel you can do with them they are a good bargain.

Things to consider if you are trying to decide between Eichtstätt and Salzburg:
● Eichstätt will provide you with a better opportunity to immerse yourself in the German language and really improve your speaking fluency. That being said, it will also be more challenging as all of your courses will be instructed in German.
● Eichstätt allows you more flexibility in choosing courses because you can take any course offered at the university, compared to Salzburg where your courses are mostly selected for you. This is a double-edged sword though, because in Salzburg you can be assured that all of your courses will count for CSBSJU credits and fulfill common curriculum and German requirements. In Eichstätt, it will be up to YOU to try to get courses approved for common curriculum or German credits. Additionally, most courses will count as three credits, not the usual four.
● In Eichstätt you will have to be much more independent than in Salzburg. Eichstätt does not have a faculty program director who travels along, and the group size is usually one or two people. Thus you will have to branch out and learn to live on your own. This is an exciting opportunity for some and daunting for others. I felt that studying abroad in Eichstätt was a great experience for my personal development, and it helped me to become more extroverted.

Students on the Salzburg Semester Program Experience Great Roommates, Travel.

The ten students in the 2014 Salzburg group are settled into their dorm rooms and most have met their roommates (from France, Greece, Pakistan, Kosovo). They sailed through two weeks of intensive German classes and orientation activities, and have been on the regular course schedule since mid-September taking art history, philosophy, the study abroad seminar--and German, natürlich! They’ve also mastered the art of riding city buses, traveling by train, shopping at the beautifully renovated Merkur, cooking pumpkin soup and Putenschnitzel, and wearing Dirndl and Lederhosen. We saw Mozart’s Zauberflaute in the Marionettentheater and were given a tour of the Hohensalzburg Festung (fortress) by a guide who had a key to all the locked doors! Moreover, the group is healthy, arrives on time, and remains cheerful and flexible, even during those early days of unrelenting rain. Ausgezeichnet!

          We visited the most beautiful example of Austrian Baroque at the Melk monastery, stood before the grave of miraculous Saint Walburga in the Eichstätt convent, walked the streets of Eichstätt to see Germany’s largest collection of Baroque buildings, ate dinner in an old castle, marveled at the immensity of Nürnberg’s Altstadt, learned about the Third Reich at the new Documentaton Center at the former NSDAP party rally grounds, and saw the lovely library and monastery church in Metten. And these are just the highlights! The students are soaking up knowledge like sponges, making comparisons, integrating knowledge and experience, and asking probing questions. We’re hoping for more of the same as we finish this first month and look forward to the second.

                Best wishes to all from this very special place, Salzburg group 2014

Contributed by director, Anna Lisa Ohm.

Rebecca Bilbro Returns from a Year in Eichstätt, Our Program Abroad for German Majors and Minors

   My year abroad in Eichstätt was one of the best experiences of my life. It was definitely different than spending time at CSB/SJU, but I loved it. The most surprising thing about my first week in Eichstätt was how accessible everything was. In Minnesota, you need a car to get around, but in Eichstätt, you can walk almost everywhere in a short amount of time. What you can't walk to is easily reached by one of the many reasonably priced buses. I was also surprised at the amount of cafes and grocery stores within walking distance. Eichstätt is a small town, but I could easily walk to at least five grocery stores and countless cafes and bakeries.
   I was lucky enough to live right next to the Marktplatz, so it was a quick walk to the bakeries and some of the shops. It was a 10 minute walk to the university and about 15 minutes to the main library, but it was a pleasant walk when the weather was nice. I shared my apartment with another international student, but I had my own bedroom. The apartment was a bit small, but it worked for us. Our kitchen didn't have an oven, but there were shared kitchens with ovens on the main floor. Overall, the living situation was quite nice.
    When the semester started, I took lots of German classes. I could have taken classes in English, but I chose to take all of them in German. There were a lot of courses that were specifically for international students, so my teachers were all understanding to the needs of non-native German speakers. I took German literature classes, a class to help with proper German pronunciation, classes to help with reading and comprehension, and even a theater class! Each class was once a week, so I had a lot of free time to work on homework, meet with friends, and enjoy the town. Since my classes were meant to help improve my German, I don't think they were as strenuous as most classes at the university were. I did get homework, but it didn't seem to be as much as what I'd get at CSB/SJU. I can't really compare the classes, though, since I've never taken classes at CSB/SJU that were meant for students who don't speak English as a first language.
   The most helpful person in Eichstätt was the woman in the international office. I did get paired up with a student who had been studying in Eichstätt for years, and while he was helpful, the woman in the international office was able to answer all of my questions about classes, forms to fill out, and more. If you're planning on spending time at the university in Eichstätt, be sure to take advantage of the help the international office offers. They provide quick and helpful answers to any question you may have. You should also take advantage of the activities and excursions put on by AK International (a student-run group for international students). I was able to travel to many places for incredibly low prices: I even got to go to Salzburg for the day for only 10€!
    During my time in Eichstätt, I was able to learn and experience so much. It would be difficult to choose just one good memory out of all of them, but I will never forget spending afternoons in my favorite cafe in the Marktplatz, drinking coffee and talking to new friends.
    Welcome home, Rebecca!

Grant Christian berichtet begeistert aus Deutschland

Grüß Gott!  Ich schreibe von Bad Reichenhall, Deutschland. Diese Woche ist meine dritte und letzte Woche hier. Schade! Ich habe viel Spaß gehabt, und eine andere Perspektiv der deutschen Kultur gelernt. Ich wohne in der Kaserne mit elf anderen Kadetten aus den ganzen USA. Unsere Gruppe arbeitet und trainiert mit der Bundeswehr. Am meistens lehren sie uns, weil sie hochqualifiziert sind, und wir sind erst Studenten. Wir haben so viel gemacht. Klettern, abseilen, MG3 u. G36 (schau im Internet an!) schießen, Pferd reiten, schwimmen, und viel Sport. Und natürlich sprechen und lachen wir viel mit den Soldaten. 

            Die Soldaten sind sehr nett, freundlich, und nicht so anders als wir. Ihr Grund fuers Eintreten ist gleich wie die amerikanische Soldaten. Die haben viel Nationalstolz und wollen ihrem Land dienen. Leider sind die Soldaten nicht so geliebt wie in Amerika. Die Soldaten sagen “es gibt die Erde, dann gibt’s uns.” Aber die sind alle so unglaublich glücklich. Sie mögen wirklich, was sie machen. Der Bundeswehr wird weniger und weniger Soldaten in der Zukunft haben. Das bedeutet, dass jeder Soldat wirklich dienen will. Ich denke, das ist wunderbar. Ich erinnere mich an unsere Konversation über Leute, die für den falschen Grund eintreten. 

Jedenfalls, sollen wir “up-catchen!” wenn ich zurück bin. Ich fliege nach Amerika nächste Mittwoch. Bis dann! 

Liebe Grüße, 

Grant Christian

Jess Raboin Recieves Prestigious Scholarship and Internship for a Summer in Munich

Most recent (6-2-2014):    

I just wanted to let you know that today I started my internship at the German federal employment agency (http://www.arbeitsagentur.de/) and it went great! I was welcomed very kindly by my new supervisor and his staff, who were all very excited to have an American intern around. J For the next two weeks, I will be in the “heart” of the Agentur für Arbeit (federal employment agency), which is the entrance and case management area. In this area, people first come in and talk to the lady I work with and myself. The customers—as they are called—are very diverse in age, ethnicity, and psychological wellness…as you can imagine. In the afternoon, I help out at the “Career Information Center,” where there is info about careers, jobs, degrees, etc. On Wednesday I am going to help with a class about applying for jobs in Germany…I will be learning while I work. J I will be in each department for 2 weeks, but spending the most time in the career counseling office. I have lots of new vocabulary to learn, but it actually wasn’t too bad today with the language. It’s just the German labor law that I don’t know well, and I will need to learn in the next couple of weeks quickly. I enjoyed my first day and can’t wait to go back tomorrow! The internship is such a beautiful mix of my sociology and German studies, previous work experiences, and career interests…I couldn’t have found a better fit! Thank you so much for all of your support over the past two years, I wouldn’t be where I’m at now without your personal guidance and teaching excellence.

Best,

Jess

Latest News:  I have arrived in Germany and will be starting my internship at the Agentur fuer Arbeit on Monday! It goes until the end of July. The visa process (to get the Aufenthaltstitel) has been long and is still going on. It has been a lot more work than what I thought. If anyone else decides to do an internship abroad, please give them my email because there are things I wish I would’ve known from the start. Anyway, I actually found another internship just for the month of August at a Sprachschule here in the town where I live.


 Jessica wrote earlier:  I received a university summer course scholarship from the Deutsche Akademische Austausch Dienst for summer 2014. The scholarship covers the cost of airfare and the university language course, which I will be taking at LMU in Munich, Germany. Additionally, I will be interning at the Bundesagentur für Arbeit in Freising, Germany (near Munich) in June and July. I feel blessed to have been given both opportunities. I look forward to improving my German and learning as much as I can about the Bundesagentur für Arbeit  (Germany's Federal Employment Agency).

It’s a dream summer!      Fellow students -- here is the LINK for this program --   https://www.daad.org/summercourse  -- do it!

Congratulations, Jess!

Alex Van Loh Awarded Teaching Fulbright in Germany

Ich schätze mich glücklich und ich bin sehr begeistert! Ich habe heute gehört, dass ich in Thüringen sein werde. Ich weiß noch nicht welche Stadt.  After having studied abroad in Austria, I wanted to expand my knowledge of Germanic culture by experiencing life in Germany. Living, teaching, and learning in Germany will broaden my cultural consciousness and give me more tools for communicating in the future. Studying a foreign language is a type of academic work distinct from all others. It is stimulating to uncover a subject that is so clearly and directly applicable to life. It overcomes communication barriers, allows for new forms of self- expression, and makes one more aware of the subtleties of one’s own language. To be able to cultivate these ideas in students across the world is an extraordinary opportunity that I feel very fortunate to have been given.

Dan Schmit Awarded Research and Teaching Fulbright Fellowship in Linz, Austria

Senior Dan Schmit was notified this past week that he had received a 9 month Fulbright Scholarship to Austria for the 2014-2015 academic year.  He will be studying Mechatronics at the Johannes Kepler Universität in Linz. In addition to his studies, He will be working part time as an English Teaching Assistant. Dan says, "I am looking forward to the opportunity to study, teach, and experience life in Linz."   Congratulations Dan!  We are proud of you.     

Joe Berns Recieves Fulbright Award to Teach in Baden-Württemburg in Germany

Joe writes:  I have been placed as an English Teaching Assistant in a school within the German state of Baden-Württemberg, which borders on both Switzerland and France.  In addition to gaining classroom experience, I will work to bring my German language skills from "literate" to "fluent." As a musician, I would like to make music a primary focus of my time there. I plan to play with a community orchestra, take lessons, and collect and transcribe as much local folk music as I can. I have also previously made contact with distant relatives from the area, and plan I to return to my great-grandfather’s hometown for another visit.  Also, thanks for all your help and support on this! 

                                                                                                                     Liebe Grüße,  -Joe

Joe Miller Receives a Teaching Assistantship in Baden near Vienna

I have been placed at Bundeshandelsakademie und Bundeshandelsschule BHAK BHAS, which is in Baden bei Wien, a 20-minute train ride south of Vienna. I am very excited to start my post-college career in such a wonderfully new environment. I hope to improve my German as well as learn the lovely Austrian dialect, and maybe come out of the whole experience fluent in the language. Apart from the immediate experiences, this opportunity will make way for my future. I hope to become a German professor, much like the ones who have influenced me during my educational career. This teaching assistantship will give me a look in to what my life might look like in the future, if I continue my journey down the path of academia. Hopefully all of these experiences will influence me to find out my true character and what I want to pursue in my future.

This teaching assistantship program is co-sponsored by the Austrian Educational Commission and the Fulbright Commission of Austria.  

Grant Christian (CSBSJU '16) Receives Military-Cultural Internship in Germany

Dear Students, Faculty and Friends, 

This summer I will be part of the CULP Mission Training Internship in Germany.  CULP is an acronym that stands for Cultural Understanding and Language Proficiency. It is a merit-based program available to all ROTC cadets in the nation. The purpose of this mission is to develop relations with foreign nations, broaden insights about foreign militaries and learn how they operate in comparison to the United States military as well as give the cadets a chance to practice their language in a professional setting.  From June 8th to July 8th this summer I will be working alongside and collaborating with the German Armed Forces, specifically with a young officer of similar rank, on various training missions and situation exercises in order to have a greater understanding and awareness of how the United States Military operates in relation to the rest of the world. I will be part of an American team consisting of other cadets from school all across the nation who were also awarded this trip. Transportation, meals, and housing expenses are all covered as a part of the program. The mission lasts approximately one month. This is a wonderful experience to practice your language and experience the culture in a very unique way that you would otherwise not have the opportunity to as a traveler/tourist.

To apply for this program you must be part of the ROTC program and you can talk to your cadre leader about it, they will have all the necessary information. Additionally, there are missions all around the world tailored to your specific language skillset. There are also English teaching programs in more under developed countries for those that do not have a second language. Do not miss out on this once in a lifetime opportunity! 

Grant Christian

gdchristian@csbsju.edu

Austria Program Participant Jenna Maus Wins Photo Award

   
    The title of this photo is "Full Circle." this is how Jenna describes her experience in Austria:  On our last day in Salzburg a small group of us decided to climb one of the surrounding mountains. It seemed fitting since it is the same thing the whole group did our first weekend in Salzburg. It was a bittersweet hike, as we reminisced about the difficult hike our first weekend, and how much closer we had grown as a group since then. As we took in the view of Salzburg one last time, I felt a sense of completeness, and for the first time, realized it truly is the journey that matters and not the end.
     Jenna's photo was chosen as second place winner from among dozens of submissions from study abroad members.

Wiener Staatsoper!

In den Bergen -- Salzburgerland

Our Wonderfrul Students in Salzburger Trachten!

Joe Wocken Tells of His First Ten Days in Lueneburg, in the North of Germany

If you’re looking for a story of a fairytale dream trip, where the path before you is always sprinkled with magical wishing dust, then this isn’t for you.

My name is Joe Wocken, and I’m a part of the University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC) Lueneburg, Germany program. So far, I’m a week and a half into the program and it’s nothing like what I thought it would be, and it’s vastly different from any CSB/SJU trip I’ve ever heard of. Some 50 of us program participants were given about a day of orientation, then pushed from the nest like baby birds. We have basic levels of support from the staff here, but for the most part, we are on our own. With this kind of independence, it’s been up to me to meet people, find my way around, and settle in to a whole different lifestyle. So far, it’s been extremely rewarding!

Here, I have to work to be successful. I’ve met Germans, Russians, Spaniards, Peruvians, Brazilians, Americans, and Texans. I’m not here to be sheltered; I’m here to live life.

Semester School + Semester Internship in Germany ~~ All Expenses Paid ~~ Ages 18-24 ~~ Apply Soon!

 

From Fr. Mark: If you are interested, I am happy to help you fill out this application. Email me at mthamert@csbsju.edu .

Official Annoucenment:
I am pleased to announce that the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals (CBYX), a fully-funded scholarship opportunity, is currently accepting applications from your students. Please make this information available to your students, and encourage them to apply in advance of the December 1 deadline:
_______________________________________

The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals (CBYX) is a year-long fellowship to study and work in Germany. CBYX is open to applicants in all career fields, though preference is given to students in STEM fields, agriculture, business, and vocational fields. Students traditionally underrepresented in study abroad opportunities are especially encouraged to apply.

The fellowship is funded by the US and German governments through a grant provided by the US Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, under the authority of the Fulbright-Hays Act of 1961, as amended. More information can be found at www.CBYX.info.

The CBYX program annually provides 75 participants with:

• 2 months intensive German language training

• 1 semester of study at a German university or university of applied sciences

• 5-month internship with a German company in the participant’s career field

• Transatlantic airfare, health insurance, and monthly living expense stipends

Prior German language knowledge is not required, though it is preferred. Applicants should have clear career goals and some relevant work experience in their career field, which may include summer, part-time, or internship work. Participants must be between the ages of 18-24, possess a high school diploma or equivalent, and be US citizens or permanent residents.

Interested applicants can apply online at www.CBYX.info. The application deadline for the 2014-2015 program is December 1, 2013. We look forward to receiving applications from your students!

From Fr. Mark:  If you are interested, I am happy to help you fill out this application. Email me at mthamert@csbsju.edu

Megan Boetcher Returns from 15-Month Adventure Abroad

Liebe Saint Ben's and Saint John's Freunde!

    As I set out for Switzerland in May, 2012, I did not realize I would be embarking on a 15 month, world-wide adventure.
    I started by living in Germany and Switzerland for 8 months. This greatly benefited my German skills, especially conversationally. Even though I was nowhere near perfect, the locals still appreciated my efforts and helped me progress along the way. Sometimes, they seemed to assume my level of German was more advanced than in actuality, leaving me a bit lost at times. However, I found my niche, persevered and kept improving.
    Unfortunately, my time in Germany came to a halt as I was headed to yet another exciting destination, Taiwan. Even though my time in Taiwan did not allow me to practice my German, which left me missing it, I still tend to think in German and haphazardly say the occasional word or phrase.
    However, the more places I traveled and people I met, my love for venturing and living abroad flourished. If anyone is even entertaining the idea of living abroad, I recommend it whole-heartedly as I, too, plan on continuing my adventures in the near future.

Joe Wocken (SJU 2015) Heading to Lueneburg near Hamburg for Spring Term 2014

I am really excited about this program in northern Germany. I looked online for student exchange programs and this one seemed a good decision in terms of cost. Students from all over the US will be there. I will send more news when I am there.