German student calls Chilton home this year

Alex Bowe

Stephanie Kuhne is one of three AFS students attending CHS this year. She is a 16-year-old student from Gladbeck, Germany.

AFS (American Field Service) is a program created to allow students to explore different cultures while continuing their education. Kuhne chose to participate in this program because it was an opportunity given to her from a scholarship. She was very excited and curious to learn about the American school system and how it differs from hers back home.

Kuhne’s favorite activity that she was a part of while at home was swimming. She stated that she wanted to join the girls swim team in Chilton but missed the application deadline.

Instead, Kuhne is one of the star runners for CHS’s cross country team. She loves the sense of community that the cross country team has with each other.

She was also surprised by the amount of school spirit America has with its athletic competitions. Kuhne said that in Germany, they go to different games and cheer for their friends but don’t have dress-up themes or chants to cheer in the stands.

Kuhne also wants to see the movie “High School Musical” because of her friends’ overall love for the movie.

She was surprised by many other things when she came to America. One of her first realizations had to do with fast-food restaurants. She said, “We have a McDonald’s back at home, but the portion sizes and menu items are very different.” She also suggested that everyone should try German fast food.

So far, Kuhne loves her AFS experience, and she is very happy that she met her new best friend, Iris Medina, another foreign exchange student.

On the left is Stephanie Kuhne and on the right is Emily Heller