Both the Niles West and North Chinese and German programs offer a life-changing opportunity for their students: trips to China and Germany to explore educational cultural differences. 48 D219 students traveled to China and 21 D219 students to Germany in summer 2024.
D219 Chinese students spent 14 days in China visiting 5 different cities, taking city tours, visiting high schools and immersing themselves in Chinese culture. The student’s trip to China was sponsored by the Chinese government, meaning students didn’t owe any fees, except for buying a Visa card and passport if they didn’t already have them. Niles West Chinese teacher Wileen Hsing shared some details regarding the trip.
“There were 200 students who traveled in total with this group, so 48 from our school, and another approximately 150 travelers from other schools. So [the Chinese government] actually had this initiative to bring over 50,000 American students in five years. They paid for the entire trip. They paid for lodging, food, and airfare, everything. The only things the students had to pay for was their travel Visa, and passport if they didn’t have one already,” Hsing said.
The China trip was sponsored by the Chinese government for the first time. Hsing shared that she hopes this program will continue and that taking a trip abroad is something every high school student should consider.
“If there is an opportunity, everyone should go on a study abroad trip, and I think they should do it as many times as they can because learning a language and culture in a classroom is one thing, but being able to interact with it in daily life and meeting people and having that real connection is something that you can’t duplicate in the classroom,” Hsing said.
Juniors Nikie Suryadi and Valerie Nguy visited China this summer and loved their experiences.
“My favorite part of the trip was meeting so many of the Chinese students from our high school exchanges because they were so nice to us and so hospitable,” Suryadi said.
“I liked seeing the scenery because I heard from a lot of people that if you want to see good scenery, China is the best place to go because it’s so big. We saw a lot of good scenery there,” Nguy said.
But Chinese students weren’t the only ones who experienced a new culture this summer. The German program visited Germany through an exchange company named Xperitas. German teacher Josef Neumayer was the primary chaperone on the trip alongside his wife, nurse Mary Neumayer. Students spent around 16 days exploring primarily Germany but also spent a day in Austria. Students stayed with a host family, went to school, visited multiple cities, and immersed themselves in German culture, just like the Chinese students. J. Neumayer has been running the exchange program for 18 years, and every trip brings new surprises and experiences.
“My favorite part was making new discoverers with students about German language and culture. That could be anything from funny phrases, to new foods that we tried or even new activities. Anything that was something new that students got perspective from, that was different from what they already knew. Sharing that discovery is just awesome,” J. Neumayer said.
J. Neumayer is known for being the teacher in the hall who wears his lederhosen and waves his German flag. It is undeniable that he not only loves German culture himself, but has a passion for introducing students to his beloved culture and giving them life-changing experiences. Neumayer is already planning another German exchange trip for 2025-2026, and he recommends all students travel abroad.
“It is life-changing, for many of our students. Just having that opportunity to experience a different culture, a different way of thinking and gaining new perspectives. It adds so much more to your life than what you can get from just your daily routine in one culture with one language, with one set of traditions, in a family setting. So, it is life-changing and you gain so much more than you can ever imagine.” J Neumayer said.
Senior Katelyn Daly and Sophomore Greer Drummond were two of the 21 students who spent 17 days in Germany. Daly and Drummond wouldn’t trade their summer experience in Germany for the world.
“I do feel more connected to the German culture just because I got to experience it firsthand. Staying with a German family really helped me improve my German, not only speaking but also immersing myself in the culture because I got to eat authentic German food and I just got to live in their household and see how they live their everyday lives. My favorite part of the trip was going to a public Euro Cup viewing in the small town of Bruchsal, Germany,” Daly said.
“I hope I will be able to visit again in the future. I had such a fun time with my exchange student and learning about her culture. I want to go back to see more of the country, but also to see my exchange student again. I learned so much from being there, and it was definitely a life-changing experience,” Drummond said.
Both Daly and Drummond had words of advice to share with future students who might be considering traveling abroad.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience to go on a trip abroad and learn about another culture, and knowing another language will deepen your connection with them. I would advise that you be open to trying everything: foods, activities and more, because who knows, you may love it,” Drummond said.
“If anyone is thinking about going on a school trip, I say do it. It was the best time of my life and nothing can recreate my experience. You just get to learn so many new things and be with people you probably wouldn’t see around school and it was just so fun to connect with everyone,” Daly said.
It seems all participants and chaperones had an amazing time on their summer trips. Congratulations to the D219 Chinese and German programs for hosting successful 2024 summer trips.
