I remember my first time visiting Calvin College, for the Fridays at Calvin program back in October 2015. My parents and I were scattered about the lunch with the professors, doing reconnaissance on whether this was where I would want to spend the first four years of my post-high school education (spoiler, it was). I happened to sit at the table with Professor De Rooy. He talked with me and my fellow prospective engineering students about a lot of things, from the Engineering program itself, to the careers that graduates tend to get into. One thing I remember talking about in particular, however, was this certain Summer Program in Germany, of which he spoke very highly. It sounded cool and interesting, but I was still kinda overwhelmed from the blast of college life I’d been getting over the previous 24 hours. Still, it stuck with me, and as I talked with more and more Calvin Engineering majors, past and present, I only heard good things about the Summer Program in Germany. Everyone said the same thing, that if I get the chance to go, take it. So, natürlich, when I heard about an upcoming meeting for prospective SPIG students, I made sure to be there. One thing led to another, and now I’m here on my way.
Another reason why I wanted to join this program was because one of my goals for my career is to have an international aspect to my work. While this is becoming an increasingly accessible option as our global infrastructure becomes faster and our world becomes smaller, having experience in international travel will only help me achieve that goal. Having been to Romania and Italy twice each with my family and school, along with a scattering of other places along the way, I already have some experience under my belt. However, studying for six weeks in Berlin provides me the chance to spend an extended amount of time in a singular place, becoming familiar with the dynamics of a normal day in Berlin.
The SPIG group is a team in many ways. We work together to make sure no one is left behind. We help each other practice speaking and comprehending German, and we are united in our current position as foreigners in an unfamiliar place. Of course, a team can only thrive if every member of the team is dedicated to the success of the whole, rather than just the individual. Thus, it is important that each person be able to contribute in some way or another. I think that I personally can contribute my past experience. More than that, though, I hope to be able to contribute some sort of leadership with which to serve the group. Whether that’s being the volunteer to try and ask the waiter how much something costs (in German o.O), or being the last one in the group so that I can make sure no one is missing, I hope to be able to help the group do what it must and be where it ought.
My prayer for this trip is that each of us learns not just more engineering and better German, but also some of the skills that are practical in every branch of life, from independence, to orienteering in an unfamiliar location, to mental toughness and grit. Furthermore, travel helps one develop a wider perspective on life and the world God created, inspiring immense wonder and appreciation for His creativity. As Mark Twain said, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” I hope that this proves true for all of us on this trip.