Fayetteville-Manlius junior Elliot McDaniel will spend a portion of his summer immersed in the language and culture of Germany! Elliot is one of 37 students from across the country to receive an all-expense paid summer study trip to Germany. 
“I’m most excited about seeing a new country, since I’ve never been to Europe before, and also learning the casual German that people use day-to-day,” explained Elliot, when asked what he was looking forward to about the trip.
Elliot earned the amazing award after scoring in the 97th percentile on the Level IV National German Exam for High School Students sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG). After qualifying with a high score, he submitted responses to several short essay questions in German and in English and was then interviewed by a committee of high school teachers and college professors of German.
The study trip includes round‐trip flights, a homestay with a host family, and excursions to places of cultural and historical significance. The study trip, now in its 63rd year, is made possible through a grant from the Federal Republic of Germany.
“The prize is a great reward for excellence in learning German, and the best way to better get to know a fascinating language and culture through firsthand experiences living with a German family and attending school,” said Michael Shaughnessy, Executive Director of the AATG.
Elliot and the other winners will travel to Germany this summer. He is a current German 4 Pre-AP student in Kate Stewart’s class.