A 2017 graduate of Hot Springs World Class High School recently became one of 250 students to receive a prestigious exchange scholarship to study abroad during the 2017-18 academic year.
Oliver Steven-Assheuer graduated fifth in his class at Hot Springs and will travel to Germany next month for a year of school and study. He is the son of Mike and Stacey Steven-Assheuer.
"I am so excited," Steven-Assheuer said. "This is something I have been dreaming about since I was really young. My grandparents have always talked about, 'You have to go to Germany. Learn the culture and learn the language.' This is my chance, finally."
Mike Steven-Assheuer moved to America from Germany as a child. His family settled in Arkansas shortly after.
"They literally came here on a boat," Oliver Steven-Assheuer said. "It was a 'fresh off the boat' sort of thing."
Oliver Steven-Assheuer was the student council president at the high school, a member of the National Honor Society, Arkansas Governor's School participant, delegate at Arkansas Boys State and a state officer in Health Occupations Students of America. He was accepted into Hendrix College and was considering other options, such as New York University and Hofstra University, when he began to search for scholarship opportunities.
His search extended to international scholarships and study abroad. He said the Council on International Educational Exchange's free Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Scholarship was an appealing opportunity.
"I didn't plan to get in and I didn't plan to get accepted," Steven-Assheuer said. "I was shocked, really, that I got it."
CIEE says it is the country's oldest and largest nonprofit study abroad and intercultural exchange organization. It was founded in 1947 as an organization to promote peaceful coexistence and respect between nations through student and teacher exchange programs in the aftermath of World War II.
The organization serves more than 340 American colleges and universities, 1,000 high schools and more than 35,000 international exchange students each year. CIEE serves as a leading sponsor for the U.S. Department of State's J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program, with exchanges in more than 90 countries. It also operates 67 study centers in 45 countries and sponsors international faculty training programs, teach abroad programs, and various specialty and custom programs for secondary, postsecondary, and international students.
The CBYX program was founded in 1983 in partnership between the U.S. Congress and the Bundestag, the national legislative body of the German government. More than 24,000 students have participated.
CIEE selects 250 students to travel to Germany and 300 German students enroll in American schools. All CBYX participants become part of the Department of State program alumni.
The scholarships are meant to allow youths from an array of communities to participate in a full cultural immersion experience. The program is jointly funded by Congress and the Bundestag to foster mutual understanding and strengthen ties between the two countries through citizen diplomacy.
Applicants must be U.S. citizens, national or permanent residents; be between the ages of 15 years and 18 years and 6 months at the start of the program; and be in high school at the time of application with a grade-point average of at least 3.0.
"Of course, if you just have those basics, you are not going to get in because it is extremely competitive," Steven-Assheuer said.
More than 10,000 students apply each year. German settlers help make the southeast the most competitive region. The program selects 50 students from each region.
Steven-Assheuer began his application last October and submitted it in December. He did not tell his parents about it until he learned of his semifinalist status in January.
"They were extremely nervous that I was throwing away all of the hard work I had been doing for four years," Steven-Assheuer said. "That's not the case. Everything can be on hold. This is just another opportunity I am going for."
Semifinalists in the southeastern region were required to be interviewed in Atlanta, or Richmond, Va. Steven-Assheuer was among students to travel the farthest distance to Atlanta.
"That was stressful, but it was neat because you get to meet so many kids who have the desires, passions and interests as you do," he said.
Students accepted into the program received notice in the spring. Participants will gather for activities next week in Washington, D.C., before they travel to a four-week language and cultural immersion camp to gain a better understanding of German culture, language and everyday life.
They will be able to meet with American and German government officials, participate in intercultural seminar, and explore the country through excursions to nearby cities, historical sites and more locations. Steven-Assheuer's year abroad will include a three-week trip to France to study French.
The average expense of a general exchange is more than $16,000. The program covers the costs of travel, meals, housing and education.
Students can receive stipends to participate in additional classes. Steven-Assheuer said he is being frugal to cover any other costs as the first in his family to study abroad.
"I am really excited I get to do it in a country I have a passion for learning more about," he said.
Steven-Assheuer will be a grade 11 student in Germany. German students earn a das Abitur diploma after grade 12 or 13, depending on the state, by passing an oral and written examination.
German university is tuition-free and students with a diploma must be admitted, but they are not guaranteed acceptance into their chosen field of study. Students often major in their second or third choice or enroll in different universities than they preferred.
Steven-Assheuer planned to major in a premedical field if he went to college in the 2017-18 academic year. He said he plans to submit new college applications for 2018-19 and is exploring university options in Canada.
Local on 07/23/2017