La Salle University Student Rodney Mills to Spend Year in Germany as Part of Government Exchange Program

When Rodney Mills’ cousins from Germany visited his family in Bear during the late 1990s, he’d accompany them to the beach and shopping outlets. He knew a little German from his maternal grandmother, but he could not understand a single word his foreign relatives said. Experiencing this scenario several times, Mills decided to major in German at La Salle University, and beginning in June, he’ll spend a year there in Germany working as a teacher in an exchange program between the U.S. Congress and Germany’s Bundestag.

A graduate of Glasgow High School in Newark, Mills said he did well in German, French, English and history classes there.  “I thought being a foreign language major would be the most exciting, and I have always liked to travel, so I continued expanding my knowledge of both the French and German languages and cultures.”

Last year, he went on a travel-study course to Vienna, Austria and Berlin, Germany during spring break.  “I learned a great deal about the differences in German and Austrian culture and of course it was fun,” he said. “After that trip, I knew I wanted to go back. I just didn't know how I was going to do it.”

All of which makes his 77-year old grandmother, Anita Mills, who came to the United States in 1957, ecstatic. “She thinks I have a great ‘Hochdeutsch accent,’” said Mills.  “She's excited about my going -- she tells everyone, and I hope she will be able to visit.  She was extremely excited when I was able to visit both Berlin and Vienna last year, especially since we have a close family friend who was living in the city (Vienna).  I know she's proud and that feels good.”

Even though the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals is done through the two legislative bodies, Mills said most of the American students frequently work for private businesses. Schools are a possibility, too, he says, and that local governments are a strong possibility if a person is interested in a career in government.

He applied for the program online, and said the hardest part was answering six questions (such as, “What are your values? How might they be challenged during a year in Germany?”  in 100 words or fewer.