… and “Willkommen” to our Spring 2022 Newsletter!

Dear AYF and JYF Alumni!

As the winter semester here in Freiburg has come to a close and spring is putting out welcome feelers, we are pleased to resume sending our AYF Alumni Newsletters. After over a year without students due to Covid-19, we were thrilled to be able to welcome 26 students to Freiburg in September 2021, along with our returning Academic Director, Peter McIsaac, and new Program Assistant, Karin Jors.

For the first time, this year’s group includes five students from Indiana University. In addition, the cohort includes students pursuing bachelor’s degrees at Michigan State University (5), University of Iowa (3), University of Michigan (10) and the University of Wisconsin-Madison (3).

They are a courageous and motivated group that has also shown a tremendous amount of flexibility as we have continued to deal with the pandemic and changing circumstances and regulations. Together with our students, who you can see in the photo below, we’d like to say “Hello again! We’re so happy to be back!”

AYF 2021-22 Greets our Program Alumni!

In many ways, the fall and winter of 2021 have been a bit topsy-turvy, but through it all, our students have kept on smiling. Their resilience and positive attitude have been an example to all of us here in Freiburg.

“Nothing is permanent except change.” This keen observation by the Greek philosopher Heraclitus is timelier than ever. The past two years have shown us very clearly that we never quite know what lies ahead. We must always be ready and willing to adapt and find creative solutions, and here at AYF, we have been able to do just that!

In this newsletter you will find:

• An Invitation to our big AYF Reunion and Anniversary Celebration
• Highlights from our American and German Alumni Clubs
• Reflections on teaching and university life during the pandemic
• A student blog by Jacob Broehm (AYF 21-22, UW) on “Life after Zoom”
• A student blog by Kaylee McCarthy (AYF 21-22, MSU) on “Experiencing the Holiday Season Abroad”
• And an interview with Lukas Kübek (AYF Outgoing 21-22), who shares his experience of “Being a Badger”

You can help us by spreading the word and liberally forwarding this newsletter to other JYF and AYF alumni and cross-posting it to your JYF / AYF year’s Facebook groups. Also, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us – we’d love to hear from you! And please stop by and visit when your travels bring you back to Freiburg – perhaps as soon as this coming July at our AYF Reunion and Anniversary Celebration!

As springtime, the season of change, approaches, we wish you health and happiness for the year ahead, whatever it may bring. Above all we fervently hope for a swift return of peace across Europe for us all, especially for the Ukrainian people in Lviv, one of Freiburg’s sister cities, and beyond!

Lviv / Lemberg Mosaic at Rathausplatz

Warmest wishes from Freiburg,

Peter McIsaac, Academic Director 2021-22
Ulrich (Ulli) Struve, Program Director
Karin Jors, Program Assistant

Additional Contact information

Alumni Club website – landing page for the AYF Alumni Association (US chapter) and AYF Alumni & Friends (German chapter)

Interest Survey to RSVP for AYF Anniversary & Reunion 2022

Online form for newsletter signup and updating your contact information

AYF Alumni Facebook Group

JYF Alumni Facebook Group

Please note: All mailing list signups are with a double-opt-in procedure. You will receive a notification via email and are kindly asked to confirm your signup request.