Scholarship Sends Peters Grad to Germany

A recent graduate has been awarded a scholarship to travel and study in Europe for one year. At the moment, she is in Hungary for an additional scholarship opportunity.

McKenzie Brynne Fritz, the daughter of Martin and Mary Ellen, is one of 50 northeastern students chosen by the U.S. State Department as a Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) scholar, which covers an academic year of study and cultural immersion in Germany.

Fritz will travel to Washington D.C. in September, where she will meet U.S. Department of State and Congressional officials for three days prior to traveling to Europe.

Fritz will live with a German family while studying at a local gymnasium or high school, and will participate in events with German political leaders. As part of the youth exchange program, a similar number of German students will travel to the U.S.

Fritz is the first Peters student selected for the prestigious program, which was started in 1982. 

“McKenzie was selected for the scholarship due to her demonstrated academic qualifications, cultural open-mindedness and motivation,” said Eva Crawford, a program spokeswoman, in a statement. “We expect that she will be an excellent ‘youth ambassador’ for our country while participating in many educational, cultural and political events.”

Crawford said this year more than 3,000 U.S. students vied for the scholarship, which covers all expenses including airfare, accommodations, travel in Germany for official events, schooling and language lessons.

In July, Fritz and her family met the father of her German host family, Michael Klumbach, who was in Detroit on business with his employer, Mercedes-Benz. Klumbach spent a day with the Fritz family and shared photos of his family and hometown of Murrhardt, which is near Stuttgart in southern Germany. 

“McKenzie’s German language skills are already well above most teens participating in the program,” said Klumbach. "My wife and I, along with our 14-year-old daughter and 16-year-old son are excited to make McKenzie a member of our family and show her Germany, and other European treasures.”

Fritz, 18, was awarded the scholarship in May, which allowed her to defer her admission to Barnard College at Columbia University until September 2013.

She said she plans to study English and international relations, and wants to follow a career path in journalism.

While at PTHS, she served as the online editor of the school newspaper, was co-president of the German club, a flutist in the marching band, a National Honor Society member and was a Graduate of Distinction, with a grade point average over 4.0.

She also earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, and is the proud owner of Rocky Road, a rescued racehorse she has trained since she was 13. 

Last month, Fritz was also awarded a scholarship to study in Hungary through the nonprofit ReConnect Hungary program. She joined 12 young people of Hungarian heritage in New York City just this past Friday, where she met with former New York state Gov. George Pataki and his daughter Allison Pataki Levy, the program’s patron and ambassador. 

Fritz is currently in Budapest for a two-week tour of the country, which includes educational lectures, meetings with business leaders, and visits to government offices and cultural attractions. 

Fritz’s great-grandfather and grandmother emigrated from Hungary to the U.S. in 1904—her great-grandfather was a coal miner in Fayette County for more than 35 years.  

As part of the program, Fritz will get to visit her ancestors' birthplaces. She said she hopes to meet relatives that still reside in those towns. 

“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to travel and learn about other countries and their cultures while representing the U.S,” she said. “I hope other students take the opportunity to apply for scholarships to study and travel abroad.”

For more information on CBYX scholarships, click here.

For more information on the ReConnect Hungary program, click here. 

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