About Me

I'm sure that most of the people who will read this will know me, but I figure I should explain a little bit about myself and why I chose to pursue the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals.

The Facts:

- My name is Maggie. I'm 21 years old and I come from Dublin, Ohio.
- I study Environmental Science and German at the Ohio State University, and I also focus a lot on sustainability.
- I have studied German language and culture since my junior year of high school.
- I have lived in central Ohio for the past 17 years of my life.
- I look like this:

Me at Yellowstone in March 2017. #penguinpaddle

It's hard to pinpoint exactly why I chose to study abroad in the first place. I love my school, I have a really strong support system in Ohio, I adore my boyfriend... but I suppose I needed to get out for a bit. I've been here for a long time, and I've been wanting to gain a more global perspective and put my knowledge of German(y) to the test.

I could have easily seen Germany and Europe through a study abroad program at Ohio State. Within the German department alone, there's study abroad programs to Dresden, Bonn, and Berlin, and more opportunities to see Germany through other departments. These programs have a lot to offer: you get Ohio State credit, you know the people with whom you're travelling, and it all takes place over the course of a few weeks and then you're back in time to start the next semester. To me, however, none of them seemed the immersive, career-boosting experience that I wanted. Not to mention, they're expensive. There are scholarships available, but I wanted something that would get me more bang for my buck and my time.

I stumbled upon CBYX one day in late 2015 while on the internet, and I was immediately attracted to the program. The year-long experience, the chance to both study and work in Germany in my field, and the opportunity to have it all funded seemed too good to be true. However, by the time I found the program, applications would be due in <2 weeks. That wasn't nearly enough time to get everything that I needed to have together, and I still had lots of thinking to do about the program.

I weighed the pros and cons of the program carefully for the next year. I considered that I would be putting off graduating for a year, that I might become homesick for my friends and family, that it could spell significant financial uncertainty for when I returned. But I also thought about how long I had been studying German and how much it would mean to me to truly live there for an entire year, how easy this program could make it to both leave and return to the US, how I would regret not seizing this opportunity and how it could shape my future. In the end, I acted in the best interest of my career and my personal development, and not in the interest of my own comfort.

It will be hard--even the application was a challenge--but I know it will be worth it, and I can't wait to begin this experience come July.

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