Lara Grenko and Justus Peacock-Broyles to study, complete internship in Germany next year
By Ines Guerin
Senior Lara Grenko and 2006 UP graduate Justus Peacock-Broyles recently were awarded the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) for Young Professionals scholarship and will travel to Germany to learn the language, study in a local university and complete an internship.
Grenko and Peacock-Broyles were two of the 75 U.S. winners of this scholarship from a pool of 500 applicants. They both received this prize for the 2007-08 academic year.
The program is divided into three parts: two months of intensive language study, four months of university training and a five-month internship, Peacock-Broyles said.
Peacock-Broyles will specialize in culinary arts, studying at a German cooking school and then working in a restaurant for his internship. He graduated from UP in 2006 with a degree in global business and a minor in entrepreneurship.
"It's going to be a great year-long adventure where I'll work on becoming fluent in both German and the kitchen," Peacock-Broyles said. "I'm very excited to be going back to Europe and to be focusing on German cooking, which is some of the best food out there."
Peacock-Broyles is looking forward to learning new techniques that he will be able to use for the rest of his career. According to him, German cooking will help set him apart as a chef down the line wherever he works.
"It's going to be nice to know a variety of styles, rather than just one, such as French cooking," Peacock-Broyles said.
Peacock-Broyles currently works as a line cook for SoLo, a bar and restaurant in the Pearl District. He plans to work in this restaurant until he leaves for Germany. According to Peacock-Broyles, this will be a great opportunity to gain new connections and keep on traveling around the world.
Grenko, a double major in German studies and political science, wants to go to law school after she graduates. This scholarship appealed to her over other programs that send students abroad because she is interested in gaining additional knowledge and experience that will help her as an attorney, Grenko said.
Grenko plans to specialize in environmental law and is writing her senior thesis about current environmental law topics in Germany.
"The reason for this interest is that the environmental concerns we face in the United States are transboundary issues; they are by no means confined just to the borders of our country," Grenko said.
According to Grenko, Germany is a leading power in the European Union facing similar issues as the United States.
"The U.S. and Germany both have strengths and weaknesses in their environmental policy and can learn a lot from each other," Grenko said.
Grenko wants to polish her language skills on the trip. She has been studying German for some time and participated in the UP year-long study abroad program in Salzburg, Austria. However, this is her chance to become totally bilingual, she said.
According to its Web site, the CBYX for Young Professionals is a scholarship program with a strong focus on cultural exchange. Its purpose is to give participants an understanding of everyday life, education and professional training in Germany.
Grenko lived in Germany when she was in high school for an inter-cultural exchange.
"I'm so happy to live in this country again; I really like the European culture," Grenko said.
Grenko and Peacock-Broyles will attend an orientation seminar in Washington, D.C. that begins in late July. Three days later, they will fly as a group with the rest of the participants to Germany.
Grenko and Peacock-Broyles' friends and family are excited and happy for them and have supported them through the entire process, both students said.
"My family is just as excited as I am for this upcoming year," Peacock-Broyles said. "It's going to be a great year and a wonderful adventure."
"I am very thankful and honored to have been selected for this program, and I am really excited for July to come," Grenko said.
