Senior Cullen Shepherd is one of the 50 lucky winners to receive the Congress Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) Scholarship. The program first began in 1983 to strengthen the relationship between Germany and the United States through citizen diplomacy. Over 24,000 students have participated in the CBYX program, and this number is continuously increasing. Student need to be between 15 and 18 years old at the start of the program.  

According to the Congress Bundestag website, the members of this exchange program will learn the German language by being immersed into the German culture in addition to attending school in Germany and living with a German host family. These students will live abroad for approximately 10 months, gaining a new sense of independence and learning about new culture first hand. The Congress Bundestag exchange year will also include meetings with government officials, cultural excursions, and supplementary language lessons. Participants will be responsible for domestic transportation, spending money for personal use, costs associated with obtaining a passport in a timely manner, and cost associated with obtaining a german residence permit/visa.

Multiple Coronado students have received this award in past years; Tegan Gough, Henry Burkle and Gwendolen Roebke. Tegan Gough who received the award in 2017 states “I would say my experience has been very interesting, however, I would recommend it for students who are going into their sophomore or junior years. If you’re 18, like I was, I would try to do a different program that allows you to study or work part time. After this program, I am planning on going to college.” Frau Bronson Sheean and Ms. Kitzberger have been two of Cullen’s german teachers. If you see Cullen in the hall, make sure to congratulate him!