The Tübingen Experience

Although the experience has not reached its finish I will try not to take you through me thoughts and feelings of the Tübingen-South Africa Program 2007.

I came on this tour with no expectations...

From the very first second we got out of the bus in Tübingen it dawned on me that this is not some fairytale dream, this is reality and an experience that we will thoroughly enjoy.

Tübingen has given me and my fellow participants the opportunity to truly interact with individuals from various backgrounds from our own country. We all share the same passion and excitement for South Africa and to me it was so rewarding to experience this intense passion among other individuals. The Tübingen-South Africa Program has opened our eyes in many aspects. It showed us that we as individuals and as a group can move mountains if you work together in the uniting spirit of passion and dreams. It taught us how to embrace the beautiful future and prosperity that we can create, not only within the borders of South Africa, but in this awesome global village of which we are all part of. It reminded us how deeply privileged we are and that with privilege comes responsibility. Unfortunately only a handful of people can be chosen to partake in such a awesome program, but this gives us the responsibility to give other people hope, opportunities, dreams and that passion that inspire nations.

The friendships that sprouted from this program, both among fellow South Africans and other students at Tübingen are just as special. I have met 22 extraordinary individuals, people who are in the true sense of the word special. To them I'd like to say thank you, thank you for allowing me to grow as a person through your eyes and lives. And thank you for being proudly South African.

The Tübingen experience is something that I will cherish for the rest of my life. It renews your perspectives, it encourage you to become what you have dreamt to be and energizes you passions.

As I said, I came here with no expectations. The fact is, even the highest expectations I could have made would have been made inferior by the greatness of this experience. Thank you to all our sponsors, everybody involved in giving us this gift, this opportunity, thank you to the Tübingen Team, words can not describe our gratitude. Thank you to the fellow participants. The Tübingen experience is what you made of it and we made the most of it.

Marius Kieck