Sometimes in class, I learn methods that could be described as stalker-ish. In Germany, it’s not so common. 

For journalists — scratch that — for U.S. Americans, finding someone’s home address and phone number off of just their name isn’t unheard of. But sitting through meetings with German students, politicians and journalists has shown me that that’s not the norm here in Germany, where controlling one’s personal data is considered a basic human right, rooted in its post-war efforts. 

I spent three weeks in Deutschland this summer, exploring the country’s history and media. It was my third short-term study abroad trip, but my first exchange program, and I’m here to tell you about everything I learned — from German-American relations to making friends out of strangers — and why I think everyone should do something similar. 

My journey started in November of 2024, when one of my professors passed along a flier for the RIAS Berlin Commission’s ERP Student Program. RIAS, named after the Radio in the American Sector, a TV and radio station established by the United States during the Cold War, is a binational organization that offers fellowship exchange programs for U.S. and German students and journalists. At the time, I was on the hunt for a summer internship in print journalism, whereas the RIAS program was an intensive study program on broadcast journalism. Still, I decided to apply on a whim. 

RIAS offered me an interview, but it was scheduled for immediately after my time reporting with the Daily Egyptian in Washington, D.C. Running on virtually no sleep and still trying to adjust to a new semester of school, I felt unprepared for the questions they threw at me and thought I completely bombed the interview. By some miracle, I was offered a spot in the program. Four months later, I found myself on the way to an unforgettable experience. 

When I arrived in Germany, the first thing I had to do was beat jet lag. The second thing I had to do was face my fears. The past two study abroad programs I did were through SIU, so I had a little familiarity with my peers, but this was an entirely new ballpark. Prior to our trip, we were sent a list of everyone’s headshots and short bios. I was one of the youngest students and pretty much the only one who didn’t work in or study radio or TV. To say I was intimidated was an understatement. But I learned quickly that everyone was in the same boat. We were all strangers, thrown together in a foreign country with a language we didn’t speak. The bonding happened so quickly, it’s hard to believe we only spent 21 days together. By the end of the trip, we had so many inside jokes that we had to do a paper plate award ceremony at the farewell dinner to recognize them all. (In case you’re curious, mine was “most likely to have an inanimate doppelganger.” It’s a long story.)

The RIAS fellows were some of the coolest people I’ve ever met. Seriously, be on the lookout. They’re going to be some of the best journalists you come across. 

So here’s some words of wisdom: Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and try something new. Everyone on this trip came from different backgrounds and with different aspirations. Some of the fellows have plans to go into separate fields, like law, education and biology. While my heart still lies in print journalism, I learned so much about broadcasting, and it’s given me a firm foundation for this semester. I’m taking a course on multimedia reporting, and I’m also working with some of the other DE staff to establish a new podcast. (After a visit to a student-run radio station in Leipzig with RIAS, I’m especially excited about that.) 

Speaking of Leipzig, most of the fellowship was based in Berlin, but we also spent time in east Germany, visiting Dresden, Chemnitz, Erfurt, Eisenach, Leipzig, Magdeburg and Hamburg. We toured museums and historical sites, and we also attended meetings at various political and news organizations, as well as German universities. We met countless RIAS alums that had visited the U.S. 

Attending these meetings opened up discussions about media in the U.S. versus media in Germany. I learned that each German household pays a fee toward publicly funded television stations, and that students typically enter graduate school before gaining hands-on experience. But we’re not so different; in fact, Germany shares many concerns with us: sensationalism, fake news, biases, censorship, the rise of AI…the list goes on. We exchanged ideas for how to overcome these challenges and become trustworthy journalists. 

Programs like RIAS are important because they help connect borders. They allow students to deepen their knowledge about other cultures and bring a new perspective back to their home countries. For journalists especially, it gives us a global perspective and better communication skills to keep in mind when reporting. 

While we did discuss how Germany works to engage audiences with short attention spans, I still haven’t learned how to keep things short and sweet. I’m already nearing 900 words, so it’s time for a speed run of the highlights of the trip. 

It’s hard to pick a favorite memory, but I absolutely loved our visit to Eisenach, where we saw the beautiful Wartburg Castle. We visited the Tempelhof Airport in Berlin, which served as the U.S. Air Force base during the Cold War and became a symbol of freedom during the Berlin Airlift. On our final day in Berlin, we received a tour of the East Side Gallery from one of the artists. 

One meeting that stuck with me was our time with Peter Keup, a former political prisoner. He gave us a guided tour of a Stasi prison that he was held in for 10 months after trying to escape to West Germany in the 1980s. Keup is a historian, researcher and advocate today. He has a documentary you can watch, but getting to hear his story firsthand was so powerful. It served as a reminder to why freedom of speech, press and movement is so important. 

Recognition of history is fairly common in Germany today. It isn’t seamless, but the country works to not shy away from its past. The program gave us a historical perspective of Germany just as much, if not more, as it gave us a journalistic perspective. The country wants its citizens to recognize its past, so that they can continue to be reminded of why it is so important to protect the democracy they’ve created. 

Throughout the trip, I became well-versed in the public transit system and more comfortable traveling alone. I decided to extend my time abroad and spent nine days exploring Amsterdam, Paris and London. I stayed in hostels with other world travelers and continued to learn about Europe’s history. In Amsterdam, I saw the 2025 World Press Photo Exhibition and visited the Anne Frank House. In Paris, I toured the Louvre and explored the city’s iconic landmarks. In London, I visited local markets and parks. 

Long story short, if you have the opportunity to go abroad, take it. You’ll learn so much about yourself and the world. You won’t gain regrets. Instead, you’ll gain new experiences, new friends and new perspectives. 

There’s a lot of people I owe thanks to for helping me get there: Professor Freivogel, for sending me this application. Molly Parker for writing my recommendation letter. Benjy Jeffords for teaching me some last minute broadcast tips. Jan Thompson and the School of Journalism and Advertising for covering my contribution fee. Duolingo for helping me learn some basic words. And to the team at RIAS – Pam, Chris and Christina – thank you for making this experience so worthwhile. I’ve built a transatlantic network now, and I couldn’t be more grateful for it. 

Deputy Editor Carly Gist can be reached at [email protected], or on Instagram at @gistofthestory.

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