Costa junior A.J. Silverman studied abroad in Germany

Courtesey of Aj Silverman Aj Silverman (center) stands in front of Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin while on a Germany tour with the Rotary Student Exchange in August of 2016. Checkpoint Charlie is the name given to the Berlin Wall built in World War Two connecting East and West Germany. Silverman got to view remains of the wall, as well as enter the Checkpoint Charlie museum. Silverman’s says his favorite part of his study abroad experience is his tour of Europe.

By Hogan Webb

Executive Features Editor

In July of 2015 before the upcoming school year, Mira Costa Junior A.J Silverman packed up his bags and took a flight to Germany to spend a year studying abroad, embracing himself in a truly one of a kind educational and cultural experience.

Silverman spent his year in the town of Ibbenburen, a small town in northern Germany. He spent his time there living with three different host family’s, studying in a German school, and also briefly traveling around Europe.

Photos: Costa Junior A.J Silverman studied abroad in Germany

“I was nervous as well as excited to go,” Silverman said. “I was most excited to have the chance to travel around Europe as well as meet new people.”

Link: Check out the town of Ibbenburen

Silverman went on the trip with the Rotary Student Exchange, a service program that assigns students worldwide to study abroad. A family friend originally suggested the idea to him, thinking that it would be an excelled culture experience, Silverman said.

“The Rotary Exchange Program gives kids all over the world the opportunity to have the experience of a lifetime,” Silverman said. “The students who go on a trip with this program will see the world from a different perspective and become more accepting of new cultures and people.”

While in Germany, Silverman spent a week touring Europe along with 50 other students in his foreign exchange group. While on the tour he travelled to several major cities in Europe including Budapest and Prague.

“It was an interesting experience going through Europe with such a diverse group from all over the world,” Silverman said. “My favorite city that I visited was Budapest because of all the amazing city lights and landscapes.”

Link: Visit the website for the Rotary Youth Exchange Program

Silverman studied abroad at a fully German speaking school, and because of this, learned how to speak German relatively quickly, he said. Silverman said his school was geared for advanced students who wanted to pursue a college education.

“Communication was definitely hard,” Silverman said. “Luckily, many of the students at my school had previously taken English classes and were almost fluent, so that made communication much easier for me.”

Silverman lived in a town with four other foreign exchange students from Mexico, Columbia, Brazil, and the United states. Silverman said he mostly hung out with the other exchange students because they were able to bond over the shared experience of being in a foreign country.

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“The foreign exchange students and I would take the train to a nearby college town on weekends to meet up with a lot of foreign exchange students in the area,” Silverman said. “We would often hang out in parks, listen to music, and dance.”

Silverman said he really enjoyed the experience and would do it again in a heartbeat if given the opportunity. The trip helped him see the world in a more positive and accepting light, he said.

“This trip really taught me to be more outgoing and to be less judgmental of people,” Silverman said.