By Kailana Williams

   Have you ever wondered what it’s like to live in a foreign country? To experience the different cultures, delicious new foods, the language and more? TPA alumni Lily Castaneda and Elias Ricken of the Class of 2022 are currently embarking on a journey to discover this “what if.”

   Last year they were accepted into Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange, orCBYX, a foreign-exchange program where students are immersed into the government and culture of Germany. Lily says high school students across the country who participate in the program are a part of the CBYX mission to “create cultural exchange and education with young ambassadors representing both countries.” Ultimately, this program is working towards bringing different countries together through the youth.

    When we think of foreign exchange students, we often picture someone from another country living with a host family and going to school. However, the assimilation process of living in a completely new environment is much more gradual than most would think. Elias says that before flying to Germany, all the students involved in the program meet in Washington D.C. to “participate in a pre-departure orientation with 100 other CBYXers before flying with them to Frankfurt.” Once in Germany, the “CBYXers” are put into language camps and separated based on their knowledge of the language. Before meeting their host families or attending school, Elias and Lily first have to become accustomed to the German culture and language. 

   While taking part in the CBYX program looks impressive on a college application, students gain much more during their experience. . They learn for themselves what the world is like outside of their home country, which greatly influences their lives. Lily says, “I know having exposure to a completely different culture will affect not only how I interpret the world around me, but also provide me with more insight as I go forward in life.”