Frances Trafton ’26 is about to embark on a life-changing experience. At the end of July, the German major and physics minor will be heading for twelve months of cultural immersion in Europe, where she will be acting as a “citizen ambassador” for the US.
On July 29, Trafton will be among the sixty-five Americans selected to study and work in Germany as part of the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) for Young Professionals program. The initiative is now in its forty-third year, according to a press release issued by , a nonprofit that operates in conjunction with the US State Department to promote international exchanges.
Impressively for the College, Trafton is not the only Polar Bear headed to Germany on the CYBX program this year. Joining her will be German major and math minor Shep Solimine ’26, and Noa Winikoff ’25, who majored in German and government. (More details).
The cohort was chosen from a pool of 420 applicants representing a wide variety of career fields across the US. During their stay in Germany, Trafton and the other participants will attend a two-month intensive language course, study at a German university, and complete an internship, while typically living with German host families.
Meanwhile, a similar number of German participants will spend a year living, studying, and working in the US on a reciprocal exchange. .
(Also read about Frances Trafton’s honors project, which she pursued in the spring 2026 semester with the help of a research award!)
