From day one, Henrik has fit in with his host family with tremendous ease. His host father says, “Henrik has become an integral part of our family dynamics. We often spend our evenings sharing each of our personal, cultural, food, and family experiences while celebrating the similarities and differences between American and German culture.” Henrik shares, “There was an immediate warm welcome and fast integration into my host family.” He continues, “When I was missing home during Christmas, I was able to rely on my host family, and we had a great time together.” His family in Germany even sent a care package with Christmas goodies, including his grandmother’s special butter and coffee bean cookies, that Henrik was able to enjoy with the Pauls. More recently, as part of his 17th birthday, which fell during his Spring Break, Henrik and the Pauls spent time exploring and making lifelong memories on a family vacation to San Diego, California.
Henrik also enjoys joining his host family at church. While he notes that church is much more a part of everyday life in the United States than it is in Germany, he quickly felt at home in his host family’s religious community. He particularly enjoys participating in the church’s youth group which provides him another opportunity to connect with people and share perspectives on a variety of topics.
At Bullard High School, Henrik is taking a strenuous set of upper-level science, math, and history courses and earning straight As. Henrik is also taking a digital media course as an elective class which allows him to become an integral part of "Knight Watch", a weekly digital High School announcement and events calendar presented each Monday at the beginning of the school day. Through the Knight Watch program, Henrik gave a presentation about the differences between the U.S. and German educational systems which enabled him getting to know even more Bullard students.
Henrik’s host father connected him to the local AIMS Center, which develops STEAM experiences for students in K-12 Education. Henrik has volunteered over fifteen hours developing curricula for hands-on learning for the AIMS Center. He is also designing a 3D maze that will let children explore scientific concepts which will be used at the AIMS center in Fresno.
Congratulations, Henrik!
