Our son rocks Germany!

Meet Ken and Kelli Pinnock. Their son, Sam, did his complete undergrad degree in Stuttgart, Germany and is now continuing on to pursue is Doctorate in Physics at the same university. As a parent myself, I was touched how Ken and Kelli created space for Sam to be challenged in Germany, even when the road was rocky at times.  Their love and trust in their son to make good decisions and figure out the tough parts was remarkable and not only speaks to their parenting style, but also to Sam’s grit.

For context, Germany has free tuition for US students (with the exception of Baden-Württemberg state in south-western Germany where tuition is $3,000/year.) Germany also has a rigorous language requirement for undergraduate students and strict entrance requirements; for those reasons Germany may not be everyone’s cup of tea at the undergraduate level, although graduate programs are more straightforward and many are available in English.

Sam had taken German in high school and felt resonance and love for the language and the culture. However, his language skills were not up to an academic level for German universities (which is B2/C1 in the European framework.) Therefore, Sam had to start at a language school prior to university.

Tell me about the experience of dropping Sam off in Berlin at the language school.

Sam and I flew to Germany one week prior to classes starting to get him settled in to his host family, and address any remaining paperwork – not least of  which to get a sense of the city and areas he would be frequenting. One notable moment was our first night at dinner after arriving, jet lagged and yet the enormity of the situation and change was not lost on Sam who is one determined individual. His comment to me was, “This is bigger than I imagined.” He persevered and at the end of the week it was time to say goodbye. All I could tell myself , mostly, and him, we had done all we could getting ready to leave the US and settled in his neighborhood. Ultimately, we trusted him.

What were those middle of the night worries that you had as a parent?

Of course, we were concerned at times. Sam felt (and feels) safe in Germany, but as parents we would talk, “What if he gets sick? What if he needs surgery in Germany? We are so far away.” Of course, Germany has a wonderful health care system that is affordable, so those factors made me feel much more comfortable. And in fact, he did need surgery at one point and Kelli was able to be there and it worked out well.

I did worry about his long-term career prospects. Would his degree serve him? Sam is in grad school now (for  physics) and seems like he is well positioned to get a job afterwards. He would like to stay in Europe,  and Germany, but as with the US, graduates have to apply for positions they are fit for and passionate about.

Did you ever feel like the endeavor might not work?

The application process for undergraduate in Germany is very daunting and it was difficult for Sam to align his qualifications with entrance requirements. There was a period between language school and submitting exam scores prior to being accepted at Stuttgart or other German universities that we did not know if he would be accepted. During this time he did apply to universities in the US.

Sam was very committed to earning an undergrad in Germany and he really worked hard to make his dream a reality. Back to that initial arrival to Berlin. As parents, we balanced between encouraging working towards his goal and being aware of alternatives. Neither of which would be a failure after the work, risks and dedication he invested to make German university a reality.  Sam was very driven to be in Germany and quite frankly he didn’t really want to do college in the US.

What are you most proud about Sam?

I am so proud that Sam had the courage to do something different.   I respect he really understood himself and what he wanted. Moreover, he kept at it, but he also recognized if it did not work as originally planned, he would explore another path.  In the end, he did it, and made his dream a reality!  When I reflect on that night in the restaurant in Berlin three weeks after graduating high school, when he said, “This is bigger than I thought,” I see a young man who has the self-confidence to grow and meet challenges throughout his life. That perseverance and trust in himself is amazing, and I am so proud of him.