OXNARD : Student Readies for Business Lessons Abroad

The beach beckons and the balmy temperatures are enticing--but Carlos Delgado is spending most of his days this summer in the library studying German.

For the 21-year-old Oxnard College student, who so far has taken only German 101, the need to learn German is urgent.

“I will be taking business classes in Germany in two months,” Delgado said. “I really need to have a good grip of the language.”

Delgado, of Oxnard, is one of 63 college students from across the United States--and the only one from Ventura County--who will spend an all-expense-paid year in Germany through an international business exchange program.

Congress Bundestag Youth Exchange Program for Young Professionals, co-sponsored by the American and German governments, will provide Delgado with a round-trip to Germany, two months of intensive language training, a semester of university classes and a five-month business internship.

“It will be a big step for me,” Delgado said, adding that it will be his first extended time away from his parents and five brothers and sisters.

Delgado, who is working toward a degree in international business, said he applied for the program in October after seeing a brochure on the school bulletin board. He was notified of his selection for the one-year program in April.

“I was waiting for the mail each and every day, and when I received the letter, I just screamed,” Delgado said. “I am still in shock.”

Delgado, who already speaks Spanish, said he began to learn German in January, hoping that he would be chosen for the program. “It paid off,” Delgado said. “I am better prepared now.”

As part of his application, Delgado had to write an essay to convey his commitment to business and an interest in other cultures. A grade-point average of 3.5 was also required.

On July 28, Delgado will fly to Washington for a three-day seminar. From there, he will fly to Germany.

Delgado, who has worked part-time as a bank teller while attending college full-time, said he is grateful for the chance to live abroad.

He does not yet know where in Germany he will live. Regardless, he is eager.

“I have mixed emotions,” he said, “I am nervous, a bit frightened and excited.”