On Tuesday, September 27, twelve high school students and two teachers from Trier, Germany will step off of a plane, and into the air-conditioned edifice that we call DFW Airport. They will be greeted by 14 host families from FWCD and Trinity Valley School, who have surely been anxiously awaiting their arrival since the first informational email from Director of the Center for International Studies, Chelsy Beninate. Reagan Hall ‘24 said, “The best part about hosting a German student, and what I am looking forward to the most, is being able to learn more about their culture and being able to share the experiences I have here in Texas, and hopefully I will get some great memories out of it. When the days are up I know I will be really sad that they are gone, but I am very grateful for the opportunity to host a German student.”

Throughout the next 13 days, the exchange students will have the pleasure of visiting many Texan must-sees, such as the Fort Worth Nature Preserve, the Stockyards, and Risky’s Barbecue. Along with drinking Dr. Pepper and taking selfies with longhorns, they will tour one of Fort Worth’s museums, either the Kimbell, Amon Carter or the Modern, and the 6th Floor Museum in Dallas. Chelsy Beninate says, “A lot of it has to do with just historical things and also items of interest.” 

They will have the opportunity to join their host Falcon’s classes during the week, so if you find yourself sitting next to a fräulein or a junge, you needn’t be alarmed. The students do not need to wear uniforms to school, but Beninate says, “What I found interesting is by the time the students leave, they want one of the jumpers, or they want a shirt.”

The German students will also spend quality time with their host families after school and on the weekends, and if they are lucky, they might even catch a glimpse of a Falcon game. Some of the Country Day host students may be very jealous that they will be analyzing primary sources or setting up algebraic equations while their exchange students are taking a VIP tour of the AT&T Stadium, but the entire group will join together at a Maverick’s game on their final day in America. When talking about the lasting effect of this trip, Beninate says, “It can open your mind to the school experience for other students around the country. It offers you the opportunity to make a friend in a different place that you’ll have for a lifetime.” She even says that she is still in close contact with the teachers that she has hosted in the past. 

Hopefully, this trip will inspire future vacations to Texas, and who knows? Maybe the host students will choose to apply to Fort Worth Sister Cities’ exchange program to Germany this upcoming summer.