New Ulm native Martha Balge during her 2022-2023 studies at Johannes Gutenberg Universität in Mainz, Germany. Balge currently serves as a German and history teacher in Kenosha, Wisconsin but this summer she will return to Germany as New Ulm’s Hans Joohs Exchange intern.

The end of the school year is fast approaching and many teachers are preparing for a break. But for New Ulm native Martha Balge, it’s a chance to once again explore her love of German language.

Balge was recently selected by New Ulm’s Sister Cities Commission for the Hans Jooh Exchange program. Through the program, Balge will spend the summer in Ulm, Germany, working as an intern for the city.

“I was born and raised in New Ulm and I am honored to be part this program,” Balge said. “I know New Ulm very well. As I kid, I went to grade school and high school here and did my undergrad work at Martin Luther College.”

Balge is currently working as a teacher at Shoreland Lutheran High School in Kenosha, Wisconsin. There she teaches history and the German language. From a young age she was aware of New Ulm’s sister cities program and its intern exchange program. She said applying was always on the back of her mind, but this was the first years she was able to do it.

Since it is a summer internship, she can easily take a leave of absence from Shoreland Lutheran.

“It just worked out and the school was so supportive,” she said.

This will not be her first visit to Germany. After graduating from MLC, she worked for a year as an au pair for a German family.

Balge said she decided to try working as an au pair in Germany as a way to learn the German language.

“It was an interesting way to be immersed in the culture,” Balge said.

After a year as German au pair, she returned to the United States. For a time she worked at a college in Michigan, but Balge eventually found her way back to Germany. She applied to Middlebury College in Vermont to seek a masters degree in language. Through the master program she returned to Germany to study at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany.

Balge said there were several factors that drew her to studying the German language. Growing up in New Ulm was a factor. The German heritage is strong part of New Ulm culture. She was also inspired by her parents, who both lived in Germany before she was born.

“As a child I had heard stories from them about and heard them using the language,” she said. “It was so interesting. I knew it was a real goal I could achieve.”

As part of the exchange program, Balge will take on two internship position in Ulm, Germany. The first internship will be helping organize a festival in the Ulm area revolving around environmentalism. The second internship is with a summer vacation childcare program.

The citizens of New Ulm will be able to follow Balge work over the summer. A requirement of the internship is she write three articles about her time in Germany for publication in The Journal.

Balge said she happy to submit the letters to the paper because she was a Journal paper carrier for nine years. Her delivery route was near the Hermann the German Monument.

Balge said she is excited to learn about her host town and it’s special relationship with New Ulm.

“I am so honored to be doing this for my hometown,” she said.