Review of Excellence Center

My time at the Excellence Center was an eye-opening experience that taught me a lot about refugees and their lives, as well as the German language. My host family was very welcoming and gracious, and I greatly enjoyed my time with them.

At the Excellence Center, we started the morning with breakfast, where I got to know the other volunteers. After that, I had German lessons, which taught me some new vocabulary. I also began to teach lessons in German to two refugees from Ukraine. I learned about where they were from, and even improved my German in the process.

I saw a lot of the city while I was here, including churches, historic buildings, the university, and a huge music festival. My host family and I became close, and I hope we will stay in contact in the future. Additionally, my German has definitely improved. It feels much more natural to speak than it did two weeks ago when I arrived. Volunteering was also a great experience that showed me the challenges refugees face, but also showed me the resilience they have.

The two weeks passed by quickly, and I wish I could stay for longer. Halle is a beautiful city, and I learned a lot from my time here at the Excellence Center. I hope to return to Halle as soon as I can!