German organization chooses K-State student as study abroad ambassador

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Source: Jeff VanSickle, 785-410-3829, sickle@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Sara Shellenberger, 785-532-6415, media@k-state.edu

Friday, October 27, 2006

GERMAN ORGANIZATION CHOOSES K-STATE STUDENT AS STUDY ABROAD AMBASSADOR

MANHATTAN -- One Kansas State University student is using his experience in Germany to encourage others to go abroad.

Jeff VanSickle, senior in modern languages, Lewis, was recently chosen as a 2006-2007 Young Ambassador for the German Academic Exchange Service, an organization promoting higher education in Germany.

The Young Ambassador competition honors 20 students who have studied or interned in Germany in the previous academic year to serve as liaisons for the German Academic Exchange Service in the United States and Canada.

"The award is a chance to educate others on how Germany works and why it is a great place to spend a semester or a year," VanSickle said. " At this time last year, I was preparing to study abroad and I couldn't find a lot of Germany-specific information through the various outlets on campus. I would like to be that source of knowledge for students who are considering Germany, so they can turn their indecision into a confident choice."

Young Ambassadors promote study in Germany at their home universities and colleges. Ambassadors may help to inspire fellow students to study in Germany by working in university study abroad offices, volunteering at study abroad fairs, answering questions from students and organizing their own events on campus. All 2006 Young Ambassadors were invited to New York City to participate in a two-day seminar addressing intercultural communications, presentation skills and marketing to assist them in their efforts.

"I expect to increase the number of study abroad students who choose Germany as their study abroad destination because I believe it is one of the most exciting and fulfilling programs in which one can study outside the U.S.," VanSickle said.

VanSickle participated in an exchange partnership between K-State and Justus-Liebig Universitaet in Giessen, Germany, in spring 2006. From March through July, VanSickle was immersed in the German culture -- an experience he said was unforgettable.

"In Germany, I learned to function in a society which differed significantly from ours in the U.S.," VanSickle said. "I learned the value of public transportation, the independent nature of German education and the function of the German market system.

"Mostly, I learned how to function fully on my own, and to be completely responsible for what happened to me. I re-learned how to make friends, and how to trust my social and speaking skills to get me around in a foreign country."

The German Academic Exchange Service is the German national agency for the support of international academic cooperation. The organization offers programs and funding for students, faculty, researchers and others in higher education, providing financial support to more than 50,000 individuals per year. The German Academic Exchange Service also represents the German higher education system abroad, promoting Germany as an academic and research destination and establishing ties among institutions around the world.