By Devan C. Tasa, Editor Tisdale Recorder and Parkland Review
Exchange student Valentin Schwamborn has appreciated his exchange program, while living in Assiniboia.
From Tuningen, Germany, he went to the U.S. in 2013 and applied for an exchange to a North American country. When Trump was elected, his parents didn’t want him to go there. So he went to Assiniboia.
“It’s a smaller community, but everybody’s very open, very friendly. Canadians are very honest and tell you if they have a problem with you or if there’s something they like about you,” he said. “Everybody knows everybody in Assiniboia and it’s very awesome there.”
Schwamborn likes the high school there, getting involved in a sport he never tried before: football. “I never played Canadian football before in Germany,” he said. “When I applied and got my district and my town, the husband of my counsellor texted me and said I had to try football because we’re short of players and needed me to get a team together.”
Schwamborn played the entire season and then was chosen to play with the South Saskatchewan Selects. He will be playing in a tournament in Texas in February against Canadian, American and Mexican teams.
Schwamborn had advice for any future exchange student candidates. “Don’t think about the school you’ll miss. It’s definitely worth it. It improves your language skills immensely. It’s an awesome time. You’ll make new friends and you’ll learn a lot.”
