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By Maria Gregor
AUGUSTA — Based on the strength of its German program, Cony High school became the home of Isabel Choinowski, an intern from KÖln (Cologne), Germany. There are only 17 such interns in the United States at the moment, only two of whom are stationed in New England.
The application process required providing information about Cony, its language department, and the tasks that would be assigned to the prospective intern. Through this fairly new program, Choinowski became Cony’s first such intern. It’s been a good match thus far. “I really love it here. I feel at home,” Choinowski stated recently.
The sponsoring organization for this program is the DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst/ German Academic Exchange Service), which also allows American students to travel abroad and study at the college level in Germany.
Frau Choinowski has been working with Frau Backman, Cony’s German teacher, assisting both the German II and German III/IV classes. She also helps out the digital photography class and seventh grade UA’s Introduction to World Languages with teacher Ms. Moore.
Most recently, Choinowski played a large part in organizing the German Immersion Day, which took place on Nov. 5. When asked about her new intern, Frau Backman described her as being “good-natured and enthusiastic” as well as a great advertisement for the merits of the German department. “She has been great at working with the students,” Backman reported.
Choinowski is an aspiring teacher, hoping to make her mark in schools as an art and English teacher. She also will be working on qualifications to teach German as a second language in order to help refugees who have come to stay in Germany. Choinowski stated, “Political, cultural and educational topics about the USA do not only constitute some of the main topics in the German curriculum for English-learners at German schools, but they also considerably impact pupils’ everyday life through the media.”
However, there are major differences between German and American high schools. In Germany, students are evaluated for aptitude after the fourth grade, when they are sorted into the Gymnasium, the Realschule, and the Gesamtschule. Gymnasium prepares students for higher education, while Realschule prepares them for trades, like a technical school. Gesamtschule combines these two options and forms a joint curriculum.
Regarding American schools, Choinowski said, “I think it can be also very advantageous for students to learn to help each other and to in general learn in a diverse environment. That way they have to learn to accept one another and support one another rather than going ahead of others or falling behind.” She is impressed with Cony’s diversity.
When asked about living in the United States as a European, Choinowski responded with overwhelming positivity. “I am really amazed at how interested the majority of people I have met at school or during my everyday life are in Germany and in where I am from. People seem to be so curious and open toward me, which makes me feel welcome!”
She is very excited to travel the United States because it is so expansive and has so many different facets. “I feel like traveling to different European countries is like traveling to different states here,” she stated. “In Germany it takes me two hours to cross the border to the Netherlands, and then another two hours to get to the next country, so traveling for us Europeans really means seeing different countries!”
Choinowski enjoys American traditions such as cultural holidays and school spirit, as well as the accompanying school mascots. She also appreciates the friendliness of those in passing and their helpfulness. “It’s so different from Germany,” she shared.
Her advice for high school students both here and abroad? “Use every opportunity to visit foreign countries, to meet foreign people and to learn about different cultures. Such experiences are so valuable! They broaden your horizons so much and make you reflect upon your own culture.”
She also advises people to be open to differences and new experiences, and not to be judgmental toward anyone whose culture is distinct from their own. “Just imagine a world with only one nation and one culture. Having the same food, same language and same habits everywhere! There’d be no point in traveling, so how boring would life be?”
