As alumni of the Academic Year in Freiburg program and founding members of AYF Alumni & Friends e.V., we strive to support the AYF program in fostering intercultural exchange and an appreciation of American and German cultural differences and similarities.
The support we received from the AYF program was vital to our successful study abroad experiences, language study and cultural integration in Germany. We wish to pay this forward by supporting AYF and its student participants. By doing so, we hope that current and future generations of AYFers will also be able to develop an appreciation for Freiburg and the German way of life.
Founding members of AYF Alumni & Friends e.V. from left to right: Karin Jors (07-08), Brendan Ryan (13-14), Brian Emard (07-08), Daniel Hefflebower (08-09), Sarah Mamer (08-09), Kyle Egerer (08-09), Ally Mahlau (10-11), Joey Marshment-Howell (11-12), Kim Mueller (00-01).
Established in Freiburg in late 2015, AYF Alumni & Friends e.V. is recognized in Germany as a registered non-profit civic organization (eingetragener Verein). Member meetings are held monthly in Freiburg, and anyone interested in joining us is welcome to attend. If you would like to find out more, please contact us.
The primary goals of AYF Alumni & Friends e.V. are:
- to foster mutual international understanding, especially between Germany and America;
- to support current and future AYF students;
- to provide advice and informal assistance to program alumni who wish to return to Germany;
- to assist with reunions for AYF and JYF participants in Freiburg or elsewhere;
- to encourage networking and exchange between AYF and JYF generations;
- to raise funds for travel grants and scholarships for future AYF participants.
The Board Members of AYF Alumni & Friends e.V. are:
- Kim Mueller, Vorsitzende / President
- Karin Jors, 2. Vorsitzende / Vice President
- Sophia Cheng, Kassenwartin / Cashier
- Kayla Draheim, Schriftführerin / Secretary
You can read more about our structure and goals in the Bylaws of the AYF Alumni and Friends e.V. (PDF in German).