Although I haven't even left for Germany yet, CBYX has already given me some experiences to look back on. My history with this program is long and, dare I say, inspirational to look back on. I was first introduced to the program in 2005-2006 during my senior year of high school by my German teacher Laurie Wanta. I had expressed a desire to study abroad in Germany but had nowhere near the financial means to do so. It is a difficult thing to have a desire to do something but not have the financial means to do so. That is what is so great about this program. CBYX is a scholarship program and allows self proclaimed "poor students" like myself to experience another culture that is more easily experienced by my wealthier student peers. I am a first generation student working my way through college and I would simply not have the means to study abroad were it not for a program like CBYX. It is just that simple. But I digress. As I was saying, my first experience with CBYX was when I applied for the high school level program during my senior year in high school. My german teacher Laurie Wanta suggested I check out the website for the program. I knew that, had I been accepted, it would have meant taking a 5th year of high school in Germany. I was not sure what I wanted to do after high school and thought that CBYX would be a good experience and would allow me more time to figure out what I wanted to do upon my return to the states. I am the first to admit that that is a bad reason to want to study abroad. Studying abroad through a government funded program is not a time to figure things out necessarily. A program like this benefits students who have clear career goals. This is probably why I was chosen to have an interview but ultimately was not chosen for the program.
So I moved on and went to college and studied Biology at the University of Wisconsin-Washington County in good old West Bend. It was not until 2009, however, that I had remembered from my first experience with CBYX that there was a college level program. I immediately did an internet search for "CBYX college" and stumble upon Cultural Vistas' website. From there, I filled out and submitted my second application since the high school application. By January the following year, I was notified by email that I was not even selected for an interview. I have always believed that everything happens for a reason and knew that if I was not selected this time it must mean that I still was not ready to embark on this incredible journey to Germany.
Not entirely discouraged by my rejections, I started and submitted my 3rd application to the CBYX program in December 2010 while I attended the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. To my delight, I got an email in January 2011 notifying me that I had been selected for an interview. At this point I was hopeful but did not get my hopes up for fear that this application would meet the same fate as its 2 predecessors. I completed my interview in Chicago in February and felt pretty good afterwards. Still not letting my hopes get too high, I continued to check my email every 20 minutes in March waiting for my notification email. Well, if you read my previous post titled "Application Process" you know that I eventually found out that i was accepted for the 2011-2012 CBYX program. Who knew that a process I started almost 6 years ago in high school that met many bumps in the road would eventually end in me embarking on one of the greatest life experiences I may ever have? It goes to show you that opportunities do not come to certain people, certain people MAKE opportunities like this happen. Giving up never led to anything good.
A special thanks needs to go out to everyone who helped me with this application. All my German teachers Laurie Wanta, Herr Pintens, Frau Smith, and Zlatko Sadikovic. You helped me learn the language and appreciate the German culture. And also those who wrote the best recommendation letters a person could ask for Colleen Vachuska and Karen Rice. And an honorable mention to my UWM Chemistry teacher, Anja Blecking, who is from Germany. You made me want to go to Germany even more simply because of the fact that you were from Germany. Thank you all. I owe so much to you.
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