MONROE - Ulrike "Ulli" Wagner Gallon, a former AFS exchange student from Durmersheim, Germany, returned to Monroe to celebrate the 50th reunion of the Monroe High School class of 1965. The Lester and Helen Johnson family had hosted her for the 1964-65 school year.
After her exchange year in the United States, Wagner Gallon finished her studies and became a teacher of English and art. Although she has retired, she is currently teaching German to refugees in Germany.
She stayed in touch with the Johnson family and is now making her fourth return visit to Monroe. The Monroe family visited her in Germany as well.
Wagner Gallon arrived in Monroe Sept. 3 with her granddaughter, Anna, and spent time with her former host family: mother Helen Johnson; daughters Joan, Jan and Jeri; and their families. She reconnected with old friends, toured the high school, attended a Monroe Arts Center event, visited the state capitol and Madison, and spent Labor Day weekend in Peoria in addition to attending her 50th high school class reunion events.
Wagner Gallon was the second AFS exchange student to be hosted in Monroe. The AFS exchange program had begun the previous year when the George and Kay Barry family hosted David Schujman from Argentina during the 1963-64 school year. Since that time, 130 AFS exchange students from 45 countries have been hosted in Monroe.
This year, two girls from Norway and a boy from Germany have come to Monroe with this program. They are: Karoline Kvilekval, hosted by Heather Lisser; Helle Hoeygilt, hosted by Jamie Larson and Stephani Hardy; and Leon Vu, hosted by the Ritch and Lynda Miller family. In addition to these three AFS exchange students, Monroe High School is hosting German student Ann-Marie Toschka with the Academic Year in America program and Chinese student Ruiying "Rosie" Yan with the International Cultural Exchange Services program.
AFS-USA is a nonprofit organization that offers international exchange programs in more than 40 countries around the world. Through this organization, families host foreign exchange students and American students live and study abroad.
For information, visit www.afsusa.org or contact local volunteers, Jan Johnson at 608-329-5925 or janetkjohnson@charter.net and Lisa Hendrickson at 608-325-3805 or lisahen3@gmail.com.
After her exchange year in the United States, Wagner Gallon finished her studies and became a teacher of English and art. Although she has retired, she is currently teaching German to refugees in Germany.
She stayed in touch with the Johnson family and is now making her fourth return visit to Monroe. The Monroe family visited her in Germany as well.
Wagner Gallon arrived in Monroe Sept. 3 with her granddaughter, Anna, and spent time with her former host family: mother Helen Johnson; daughters Joan, Jan and Jeri; and their families. She reconnected with old friends, toured the high school, attended a Monroe Arts Center event, visited the state capitol and Madison, and spent Labor Day weekend in Peoria in addition to attending her 50th high school class reunion events.
Wagner Gallon was the second AFS exchange student to be hosted in Monroe. The AFS exchange program had begun the previous year when the George and Kay Barry family hosted David Schujman from Argentina during the 1963-64 school year. Since that time, 130 AFS exchange students from 45 countries have been hosted in Monroe.
This year, two girls from Norway and a boy from Germany have come to Monroe with this program. They are: Karoline Kvilekval, hosted by Heather Lisser; Helle Hoeygilt, hosted by Jamie Larson and Stephani Hardy; and Leon Vu, hosted by the Ritch and Lynda Miller family. In addition to these three AFS exchange students, Monroe High School is hosting German student Ann-Marie Toschka with the Academic Year in America program and Chinese student Ruiying "Rosie" Yan with the International Cultural Exchange Services program.
AFS-USA is a nonprofit organization that offers international exchange programs in more than 40 countries around the world. Through this organization, families host foreign exchange students and American students live and study abroad.
For information, visit www.afsusa.org or contact local volunteers, Jan Johnson at 608-329-5925 or janetkjohnson@charter.net and Lisa Hendrickson at 608-325-3805 or lisahen3@gmail.com.
