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"I participated in Tandem.MINT two times, once in the summer semester of 2021 and again during the winter semester from 2021-2022. I really enjoyed both of the experiences that I had, especially amongst the pandemic. Having Tandem.MINT be offered completely virtually and having the capability to determine my schedule for the course was wonderful during such a difficult time. During my first experience, I was studying aerospace engineering and was paired with someone also majoring in engineering and was beginning her master’s degree. My partner and I bonded very well and we learned so much about the disciplines in the different cultures! During my second participation, I changed my major from aerospace engineering to physics and was partnered with someone else who was also majoring in a scientific field: biology. This was also a wonderful experience as we had many things in common and spoke about our respective research, career, and internship interests. During both experiences, my partners and I learned so much about the differing cultures in Germany and America and my speaking skills improved immensely. When I began the program, I was very skilled in reading and understanding German, but speaking was my greatest weakness in the language. Now, I can confidently hold a conversation in German and am certain that I could speak about Physics in German as well! Overall, I had a very lovely experience with Tandem.MINT and highly recommend it to anyone looking to improve their conversational and professional speaking skills. I hope to one day finally visit Germany and have coffee or tea with both of my partners!"

Sasha, Virginia Tech