We are pleased to announce Annalena Gietl as the February 2024 Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) German Participant of the Month! Annalena, a CBYX High School program participant placed by CIEE, is hosted by the Handrich family in Manawa, Wisconsin.
One of Annalena’s favorite moments of her exchange is when she made her first basket during a basketball game. Annalena decided to join the high school basketball team because she wanted to try something new. It was difficult to learn how to play, but her team kept motivating her. The entire school knew that basketball was a new sport for Annalena, and the entire crowd cheered for her when she made her first shot. She says, “I loved game days and how much my classmates showed school spirit.” Annalena also showed her school spirit when she cheered on her friends during football games.
Outside of basketball, Annalena keeps busy with various clubs at her school and volunteers at the local library in Manawa. When she first arrived in the United States, Annalena asked the librarians if they needed help, and she started volunteering at the library almost immediately. Annalena shares, “[The librarians] showed me that volunteering can be fun and let me get creative with new projects for the library. Carol [one of the librarians] also introduced me to a lot of people in my host community – making it possible for me to have inspiring conversations with people who work in interesting jobs, have recently moved to Manawa, or are a big support for my hometown. Her attitude makes me always feel welcome.” Even though Annalena has already completed over one hundred hours of community service during her first semester, she plans to continue volunteering at the library.
Annalena says, “I’ve met wonderful people in the United States and have become more open in interactions with other people.” She likes how often people give each other compliments in the United States. Annalena now does this as well and plans to continue being more open in her interactions when she returns to Germany. Annalena’s advice for students considering going an exchange is: “Just do it! I understand that people are afraid that they’ll miss their friends and family – and every day is not perfect – but you’ll never regret the experience. Just saying you had the opportunity to live in another country is amazing!”
Congratulations, Annalena!
