Stephen Brooks

JEFFERSON TWP — An ambitious Knoch High School junior has earned a scholarship that will pay 96 percent of his trip to study in Germany this summer.

Stephen Brooks, son of Leslie Bridgeman of Clinton Township and the late Edward Brooks, won the Council on International Educational Exchange scholarship and will live in Berlin from June 14 to July 11.

Stephen will live with a host family and be immersed in the language, educational system and culture in the second most populous city in the European Union.

“I'm excited to live in a completely different culture,” Stephen said, “but going from a small-town setting to a massive city is going to be quite shocking.”

He said he was surprised when notified that he had won the CIEE scholarship, which he applied for by writing three essays in answer to questions by the organization.

Stephen attributes his love for the German language he discovered this school year to his German teacher, Emily Cramer.

“She's very enthusiastic about it,” he said. “She's always passionate about what she's teaching.”

Cramer said Stephen is the kind of student who wants to take German a step further and learn about the country's people and culture, not just the language.

“(The scholarship) is perfect for him because he wants to be immersed,” she said. “He's a naturally curious student.”

Luckily for Stephen, Cramer works for the CIEE each summer by flying to Berlin to serve as a program leader.

Cramer will stay near Stephen's host family and help all the students studying there navigate Berlin, including the subway rides to and from school each day.

“Stephen will have to put up with me for a whole month,” Cramer said, “but I'll get to see firsthand how he's doing.”

Bridgeman is thrilled that her son will get to study abroad this summer.

As a Mars High School student, Bridgeman spent a year in New Zealand through the American Field Service program.

“It's going to be a wonderful opportunity for him,” Bridgeman said of her son's trip to Berlin.