SAGSE QUEENSLAND STUDENT EXCHANGE

An Australian in Berlin: He left the beaches of Brisbane for the cold of Germany and his dream job abroad. (From: http://www.dw.com/en/ben-fajzullin-journal-and-made-in-germany/a-16371776

   After graduating from the Church of England Grammar School, Brisbane, Ben decided to pursue his goal of working in Germany. He began by  teaching English to Germans, returning to Australia to work as the Nightly Newsreader on SBS. He then left Australia for Berlin to become Senior Business Editor for Deutsche Welle News. He reports regularly on various topics of interest from all over the world, reaching the global community and gaining many followers in the process. Ben is an inspiration to us all, especially for  learners of German.

Here is Ben’s story:

Taking an early interest in a foreign language was the best thing I did in school. The older you get, the harder it is to master one! And German grammar is a nightmare. But doctors say learning another language can do all sorts of wonders: boost creativity, stave off dementia, even make you a better negotiator.

German landed me a job as an international TV anchor. It’s what I always wanted to do as a journalist and beats having to cover stories about cats up trees! It was all thanks to SAGSE. After a year of German classes, I decided I’d travel to Germany once finished school, to try learning the language properly. And SAGSE took me on.

The exchange opened my eyes to a whole new world – a lot more than just the language. New ways of doing things, new ways of perceiving life, tolerance, travel, different food, opinions, endless opportunities and so much more than I knew existed. Six or seven weeks were definitely not enough.

After university I returned to Germany as a SAGSE committee member, accompanying a student exchange group. And after five years of work as a radio reporter and presenter in Australia, I jumped at the opportunity to move to Germany. That’s when the real adventure started! But that’s another story.

Find out more:

Twitter:  @BenFajzullin

YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCySPZEIxbVIBYAtOCO1cS7Q