Since we couldn’t connect in person, Brendan’s interview was done via emails. Through those emails, he shared his life’s journey from Menomonie to Germany.
When I asked Brendan about his most memorable MHS experiences, he included his involvement in high school plays, musicals and forensics (solo acting and extemporaneous speaking), adding that “those were always great activities to have fun with classmates while also honing in on skills related to public speaking.” These skills proved invaluable in his further his education and in making presentations in a professional manner.
Brendan also added, “I really gained a lot from friendships I had with foreign exchange students. I feel that’s what opened my horizons for later experiences outside my comfort zone. Basically, coming from small-town Wisconsin, I realized that international travel was possible.”
That interest in international experiences took him to UW-Madison after his high school graduation. There he majored in German and Linguistics. After a semester internship at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, Brendan spent his junior year
studying abroad in Freiburg, Germany. According to Brendan, that year “really changed my perspective on what was possible in my life.” After completing his Bachelor’s degree at Madison, Brendan went on earn a Master’s Degree in European Linguistics from the University of Freiberg.
Using his education, he is currently a copy editor in a scientific publishing house in Germany where he can combine his expertise in language with publishing open-access data that can have an effect on scientific developments.
Family is important to Brendan. He met his wife “while I was doing my junior year abroad with the Academic Year in Freiburg through UW-Madison. I do recommend doing some type of study aboard while in college to anyone interested. You don’t always have the freedom to travel when you have other responsibilities like a fulltime job or kids!”
Brendan and his wife have three daughters, all of whom were born in Germany. “Currently, my free time is filled with children’s birthday parties and trips to the playground, along with juggling piano lessons and swimming classes.
“But we do make some time every year for travel, usually within Europe. This year, in addition to visiting family and friends in Wisconsin, we attended a wedding in the Canary Islands and took a trip to Portugal.”
“I also enjoy watching ‘good’ films and have dipped my toes into online genealogy (although I will need a bit more time in the future year to do either of those hobbies justice).”
We ended our interview with Brendan stating, “I definitely have a foot in both worlds—family in Wisconsin while living and working in Germany.” (Brendan and his family currently live in Gottingen, Germany).
Judy Foust is a retired longtime 7th Grade Reading Specialist at Menomonie Middle School. To submit info to her or to request an interview she may be contacted at [email protected]
