Three Students Studying German Receive Top Honors for Fluency

Win prestigious scholarships to travel and study abroad

October 05, 2009 --Lisa Svec, instructor in German, recently announced that three Phillips Academy students received top honors for their achievements in the study of German this past spring. Stephanie Liu ’11, Michael Kalzuny ’09 and Chris Latham ’09 were each awarded trips to Germany.

Liu, an AP German student, was one of 44 students from across the country to be awarded a three-week trip to Germany last summer by the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG) for her high-ranking performance on the National German Exam. In addition to her stellar performance on the exam, Liu, who competed against 26,000 students nationwide for the AATG prize, also was required to submit a written application and be interviewed in German by a panel of native speakers.

“I stayed last summer with a host family in Nuremberg and attended Martin Behaim Gymnasium [a high school] with my host sister,” reports Liu, who took classes in German language, history, politics, and music on her trip abroad. “I also went on cultural excursions in Nuremberg, Munich, and Regensburg. On each trip, I visited cultural sights, studied the breathtaking architecture, and learned pieces of German history. I even gave a short speech to a city official on behalf of our group, thanking the German government for its hospitality.”

Kalzuny and Latham also were recognized for their accomplishments in the study of the German language, winning prestigious and highly competitive Congress-Bundestag scholarships. Both boys are currently taking advantage of the opportunity provided by the scholarships, spending a “gap year” living in Germany with host families and attending local high schools. Both Latham and Kalzuny are 2009 PA graduates and will attend college next year.