USA scholarship: Meet the winners 2023

We’ve announced the winners of our high school scholarships in the USA! Meet the German students Emilia, Marlene, and Nils, and learn what they’re looking forward to during their high school year!

The American Dream Scholarship winners of 2023

Emilia loves the USA, particularly for its famous American sense of community. In her hometown of Hanover, Germany, she already has her hands full of volunteer positions and extracurricular activities. Emilia is determined to continue this commitment at her American high school.

She has long had a passion for the United States that grows with every YouTube video she watches, learning about the daily business of American students and living in the USA.

Emilia tested her "suitability" for exchange programs with a short language trip to England at first. Since this cultural experience was a huge success and led to many friendships, she now wants to take the leap across the pond and spend a high school year in the USA with our The American Dream scholarship.

For her creative contribution, Emilia got help from her little sister. The result was a stunning self-made "Tagesschau" news show.

Nils has been dreaming of a high school year for a long time because, for him, the United States is the most diverse and exciting country in the world. He deserves his scholarship not only because of his fantastic video application starring friends and relatives but also because of his incredible voluntary commitment, e.g., at the Red Cross and the animal shelter in his hometown of Cuxhaven, Germany.

The 15-year-old is looking forward to exciting new subjects in high school and hopes to be part of an American football team. Nils is also really excited about his new host parents and siblings, who will hopefully become his second family.

Nils designed as a USA shirt with 95 self-made iron-ons. His protégés from the animal shelter and many friends played along in his application video.

Marlene was inspired by her big sister to apply for the The American Dream Scholarship. The 15-year-old wants to see as much of the world as possible and is particularly curious to see whether American culture is actually like we know it from movies and books.

She also wants to fact-check the good old "American Dream," according to which anyone can truly fulfill their dreams in the USA. Marlene is excited about high school, the sports teams, and extracurricular activities. And, of course, she will try out cheerleading!

In her creative contribution, Marlene packed a suitcase with the essential "utensils" for her high school year in the USA.

What is the “The American Dream Scholarship”?

The American Dream Scholarships, established in 2021, were created to provide dedicated and imaginative students with the opportunity to attend an American high school year, regardless of their family's financial circumstances.

The USA experts from The American Dream have pledged to support the initiative with an annual contribution of 15,000 € while the non-profit organization Partnership International e.V. is responsible for implementing the scholarship program.

After the call for applications, students between the ages of 15 and 17 may prove themselves in four selection rounds which include a freely choosable creative contribution. Our criteria for eligibility include a passion for the United States, a demonstrated commitment to volunteerism, and an affinity for digital storytelling.

The next round of applications starts in May!

Marlene, Nils, and Emilia will start their adventure to the land of their dreams in the summer of 2023. They will document their experiences through personal USA blogs, allowing us to follow their journey.

Like our winners, many young people would love to spend a year abroad in the USA. So here’s good news for all USA fans: the next round of The American Dream Scholarships will start in May 2023! We will keep you up to date in our news section as well as our The American Dream Newsletter!