Building strong connections with people in other countries, learning languages, and experiencing other cultures have created a special bond between three generations of Experimenters from one family.
Fred Rosenmiller went to France in 1952 as an Experimenter.
His daughter, Diane Rosenmiller, went to Switzerland on the program in 1987.
Diane’s daughter, Evelyn Seidner, went to India and Nepal in 2019.
Evelyn was part of the 2019 Experiment Leadership Institute, a highly competitive program combining leadership training, a rigorous program on site, and a follow-on project in her home community.
She says she treasures the memories of the two weeks she spent with her homestay family. “I really was able to form a bond with them and learn a little bit about how they live, and they were able to teach me some Hindi.”
Diane Rosenmiller encouraged her daughter to apply to the program because of Diane’s own meaningful experience in Switzerland in 1987.
In addition to learning French, thanks to her immersive homestay experience, Diane says she cherishes recollections of a challenging climbing excursion in Zermatt. Seeing the Alpine sites while helping each other through the strenuous climb was one of the most exhilarating parts of her Experiment program, she recalls.
It all started with her father’s experience in France in 1952.
“It was very meaningful to me, and as a result, I was instrumental in having two of my four daughters go on The Experiment,” Fred says. “Diane has created the third generation by sending Evelyn to India, so we’re three generations, and all the experiences were very positive.”
In France, Fred stayed the Seguin family, who did not speak English. That helped him become fluent in French. “I was dreaming in French,” he recalls. “I was so proud of my French accomplishment.”
About 15 years ago, Fred had a chance to visit his homestay family. They were excited to see him again and showed him the room where he stayed and even the gift he had brought them from the U.S. so many years before.
For his part, Fred says he still has an empty bottle of Seguin family wine because of the special memories associated with the label.
Evelyn hopes to follow in her grandfather’s footsteps and visit her host family in India one day. Meanwhile, she says her experience has helped her develop stronger connections at home. “It gave me a greater sense of connection with other people around the world and people that are in my own community, or near my community, that I didn’t know before.”
Read more on the World Learning blog.
