Lucie
Hornberger,
a
rising
junior
at
Charles
J.
Colgan
Sr.
High
School,
was
selected
for
the
prestigious
Congress-Bundestag
Youth
Exchange
Program
(CBYX)
national
scholarship
for
the
2020-21
school
year.
To
qualify
for
the
program,
the
candidate
must
be
a
U.S.
citizen
between
ages
15-18.5,
maintain
a
grade
point
average
of
3.0
or
above
on
a
4.0
scale,
and
have
an
interest
in
learning
the
German
language.
Additional
considerations
include
strong
written
and
oral
communication
skills,
a
deep
desire
to
have
a
cross-cultural
experience,
a
tolerance
for
adversity,
ability
to
represent
the
U.S.
with
distinction,
in
addition
to
possessing
a
strong
academic
record.Catherine Smart, Hornberger's German teacher at Colgan High, shared, "I am so proud of her. This is the second Colgan student who has been selected for this national scholarship award in the past three years."
Although there have been many changes and cancellations due to the coronavirus, the program will continue, moving the start date to January 2021 instead of this July.
Hornberger will participate in a year-long youth exchange program with a selected German host family. As a part of the program, she will participate in training before her departure from the U.S., as well as take part in orientation programs in Germany to prepare for the transition to a different culture. Once there, Hornberger will have the opportunity to continue her language lessons in German and take part in cultural excursions to the German Bundestag and select German cities.
The scholarship award covers the cost of certain activities, such as round-trip international transportation between the U.S., and the host community in Germany, lodging and meals provided by the host family, and approximately one month of immersive language training upon arrival. In addition, the scholarship also takes care of tuition and academic materials required by the host school, transportation while in Germany, and lodging and meals for participation in required program activities, such as the mid-year seminar, and program-wide end-of-year activities in Berlin, and in Washington D.C.
Established in 1983, the CBYX strengthens ties between the United States and Germany through citizen diplomacy. The program is equally funded by the U.S. Congress and the German Bundestag, the national parliament of Germany. The program is overseen by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. More than 26,000 youth have participated in the program, preparing themselves for an increasingly globalized world.