When country girl Millie Maunder touched down in Germany last year, little did she know she was about to embark on a life-changing international learning experience.
The boarding student from Moree jetted across the globe to expand her cultural horizons through a signature program at St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School where Year 10 students apply to spend a term studying at one of 11 schools in six countries across the globe.
“I was very excited to fly overseas for the first time. I had heard all about Germany and its incredible architecture, cities and Christmas celebrations and never thought I’d be able to experience it until I was an adult,” Millie said.
A trip to the Austrian Alps and seeing snow for the first time, as well as a school excursion to Paris, were among the many highlights of what proved to be a trip filled with new cultural experiences and lifelong memories for Millie.
“I could not believe that I was actually going to see Paris! I also couldn’t believe it took the same amount of time to drive from Bornheim to Paris as it takes me to drive from Brisbane to Moree.
“We toured the city, seeing Notre Dame, the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre and, of course, the Eiffel Tower and indulged in delicious macaroons and French patisseries!
“My host family took me on a road trip during my stay, and I discovered new and amazing places unlike anything I’d seen before. We visited the largest ice-cave in the world, where the temperature dropped to 0 degrees inside, and Rothenburg, a medieval town with buildings that had been there for centuries. One house was built in the 1200s!” she said.
Attending the Ursulinenschule Hersel school in Bornheim was very different to school life at St Margaret’s.
“I rode a bike or travelled by train to school each day – a stark contrast to living on campus at St Margaret’s. The school day hours varied too with some shorter and some longer days. “The school also didn’t have computers, which was quite different to
St Margaret’s, where every student has a laptop and almost all of our class and homework is technology based,” Millie said.
One of the most significant differences was of course the language. Millie knew a few German words before she set off on exchange but by the time, she returned home she could understand parts of sentences and sometimes join in conversations with a few phrases.
“Within my first week of being in Germany, I was so intrigued by the Deutsch language and really wanted to understand it – so my Duolingo lessons began.
“At school, it was quite daunting as all of my classes were in German. However, I became very good at reading people’s facial expressions and hand gestures and my exchange buddy helped me by translating.
“My fellow exchange buddies and I were able to return the favour, too, by assisting many students to improve their confidence with speaking English,” she said.
In summing up her exchange experience Millie says it helped her to grow more confident and independent, gain a global perspective and create an international network of friends.
“This experience was something that I will cherish for many years. It was better than I ever expected. The St Margaret’s Global Exchange Program gave me the opportunity to broaden my horizons, meet so many new people, try new things, learn so much more about the world, and adapt to a new lifestyle. I am so grateful to have been able to participate in such an amazing and fulfilling experience,” Millie said.