New Ulm welcomes new exchange program visitor

NEW ULM – A new participant in the Hans Joohs cultural exchange program is set to intern in the Park and Rec department this summer.
Annika Fischer of Neu Ulm, Germany was officially recognized at the Sister Cities Commission Meeting Tuesday at the Kegel Klub. Fischer has been in New Ulm since June 29 and started her internship July 1. Fischer said she will get to work in various department sectors during her time.
She will not be able to do things that require a license. This means Fischer cannot be a lifeguard, which she told the commission she does at home.
Fischer said she initially found out about the program through an Instagram post. She said she had never been outside of Europe before and wanted to experience cultures and people from other countries.
She said not everyone was initially thrilled about her choice to come to America.
“My mom was a bit nervous about it,” Fischer said.
Fischer’s parents are an office worker and baker, and she has a younger sister as well. If there’s one thing she’s already missing from Germany, she said it’s them.
This homesickness has been assuaged by the generosity and enthusiasm exhibited by those helping her in the program.
“Everybody was very friendly,” Fischer said. “They helped me a lot [by] taking me around and showing me New Ulm.”
Fischer said she was open to doing pretty much anything for an internship but was very happy to work with Park and Rec and explore their areas.
“We didn’t have something like that in Germany,” she said. “I think it’s very nice to have something in the city. Especially the playgrounds, sports fields, and the Rec Center. It’s really cool.”
Schell’s Brewery, Hermann the German, and the Glockenspiel are a few places Fischer has been able to visit. Currently she is focusing on more traditional American foods; she has not been able to try the Kaiserhoff yet.
“In Germany, [the food is] healthier,” she said.
Fischer is not looking to spend all her time in New Ulm either. This weekend she will be going with her host family, Greg and Lori Howard, to Chicago. Fischer said she is excited to see a large American city and how it compares to places in Europe she has traveled before, like London.
Before she goes home, Fischer said she has to experience some events not prevalent in Germany.
“I want to go to a baseball or football game because we didn’t have that in Germany,” she said. “I want to visit the bigger cities. I think it’s impressive to see something like that.”
While Fischer is here, New Ulm’s Anne Howard has traveled to Neu-Ulm Germany. She will be there from June 24 to August 6, working at an eye surgery clinic, neurosurgery center, and German-American institute in Tübingen.