New Scholarship Honors Legacy of International Exchange Student

NEW SCHOLARSHIP HONORS LEGACY OF INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE STUDENT

Family of German exchange student to the US sponsors new scholarship for an American high school student from
son’s host community to study abroad in Germany

Washington, DC (November 13, 2014) The Alexander Voigt Memorial Scholarship offers the opportunity for a high school student from St. Cloud, MN (preference will be given to applicants from Technical High School) to spend a year as an exchange student in Germany.

Alexander Voigt was an international exchange student from Germany to St. Cloud, MN. He attended Technical High School, where he made his mark as a member of both the soccer and track teams. Known for his compassion, aptitude and adventurous spirit, Alex was a bright and charismatic young man. While participating in an aerial tour over his adopted city this past June, during the final week of his exchange, Alex was taken in a fatal crash. His family, so touched by the outpouring of support they received from the St. Cloud and YFU communities, and as strong believers in the importance of studying abroad, have funded this scholarship in their son’s honor. Donations to the Alexander Voigt Memorial Scholarship are being accepted, however, the Voigt/Jetter Family have offered to cover the entire cost of tuition.

Finalists for the scholarship will be reviewed by a board of St. Cloud representatives chaired by Mayor Dave Kleis who was Alexander’s host father while in MN, together with the Voigt/Jetter Family to select the recipient(s) for the 2015 – 2016 school year.

The Alexander Voigt Memorial Scholarship application deadline is January 5, 2015* and includes:
*Deadline subject to change.

• Round-trip travel (domestic and international)
• Placement with a carefully selected host family
• School placement
• 24-hour student support
• Local pre-departure Orientation for scholarship recipients and family
• National pre-departure Orientation for scholarship recipients
• Language courses in Germany upon arrival (if needed) and orientations throughout the year
• Opportunity to meet with the Voigt/Jetter Family who are sponsoring the scholarship

“YFU is a special family that transcends borders and cultures because we believe in exchange and the brave young adults who each embark on their own life changing journeys. Alexander was an exemplary young man, who was kind, intelligent and loved by so many,” said Michael E. Hill, YFU’s President & CEO. “He had followed in his own parents' footsteps as they too were once exchange students to the US with YFU, have been volunteers with YFU Germany and are host parents themselves. With the support of a longtime host father and the caring community of St. Cloud, Alex completed a wonderful year, filled with love and adventure. Together with the Voigt/Jetter Family we’re thankful to continue celebrating his life and lasting impact on each and every one of us, keeping his legacy alive through the Alexander Voigt Memorial Scholarship.”

A thank you letter written by Alex’s family – a wonderful tribute to Alexander and the spirit of intercultural exchange – can be found in the St. Cloud Times.

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About YFU
Youth For Understanding (YFU) advances intercultural understanding, mutual respect, and social responsibility through educational exchanges for youth, families and communities. The global YFU network, consisting of partners in more than 70 different countries, is united by the belief that full cultural immersion is the most effective means to gain the skills needed to thrive in an increasingly multicultural, interconnected and competitive global society. Selected to administer more government and corporate scholarships than any other high school exchange program, YFU has remained a trusted leader of intercultural exchange programs for more than 60 years because of its commitment to safety, reputation for quality, and exceptional support services.

Homecoming Events Kick Off New Scholarship Fund

With a rich legacy built on more than six decades of excellence in cultural exchange, YFU is delighted to have returned our headquarters to Washington, DC and to have celebrated this momentous occasion with a series of successful opening weekend events.

2014 Scholarship Gala

We had a full house in our new Education and Training Center on October 11, 2014. The evening cocktail reception and dinner gala, championed by Ambassador (Ret.) Laurie S. Fulton, a member of YFU’s Board of Trustees, inaugurated a new scholarship and financial aid program to ensure that more US students can study abroad in the next decade. Proceeds from the event are being used to establish a YFU Financial Aid Fund, helping to provide need-based scholarships for YFU’s Study Abroad program so that all students have the opportunity of a transformative exchange experience.

YFU extends its sincere gratitude to our distinguished speakers who candidly shared personal stories and articulated the importance of citizen diplomacy in today’s world.

• Michael E. Hill - President & CEO of YFU USA
• Daryl Weinert - Chair, Board of Trustees YFU USA
• The Hon. Laurie S. Fulton – Board of Trustees & Gala Co-Chair, YFU USA
• The Hon. James J. Blanchard – Former Governor, Michigan; Former Congressman, Michigan; Former Ambassador, Canada
• H.E. Peter Taksoe – Jensen, Ambassador of Denmark
• Monica Floyd – YFU Alumna to Thailand, 2010

Donations toward the YFU Financial Aid Fund, may be made below.

2014 Alumni Panel

YFU welcomed a panel of notable YFU alumni to our new Education Center on October 10 for an interactive exploration of YFU's rich history and bright future as a leading force in intercultural understanding. Our accomplished panelists shared their YFU experiences and engaged in a lively discussion, which was followed by an energetic open house event for guests to explore the new headquarters.

Special thanks to our alumni panelists:

• Katherine Brown – Executive Director of the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy
• Trevor Gunn – Managing Director of International Relations, Medtronic Corporation
• Florencia Paz Cazzaniga – Senior Research Assistant, International Food Policy Research Institute
• Michele Peters – Special Advisor, Education & Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State
• Andrew Towne – JD/MBA Candidate at University of Pennsylvania & YFU Board of Trustees External Affairs Committee Chair

If you are an alum and would like to reconnect, please contact alumni@yfu.org. 

Throughout the course of these events we were joined by YFU Trustees, staff, alumni, diplomats, volunteers and special friends all coming together to celebrate the legacy and vision of YFU. 

Thank you to everyone who joined us both in person and in spirit for the gala and our alumni panel, it wouldn’t have been the same without you!