On May 3 senior Alyssa Roberson sent out an invite to all her friends in Facebook for her “Graduation/Going-Away (to Germany) Party.” For Alyssa the college route is one road she won’t be taking. Alyssa has decided since beginning of senior year that she will be moving to Germany for a year, instead of attending college; she is going to teach English to German students ages 7-14 at an English speaking school.

“My family and I have been planning it [for] more than six months,” Roberson said. “It’s all very exciting and nerve racking at the same time, mostly because I know that I’m going to miss my family very much, but I’m very excited that I will get the chance to immerse myself into a new culture.”

Roberson will be teaching English as an intern at Freie Christliche Schule pronounced (Fry-uh Kreest-leech-uh shoo-luh), where she will have the chance to practice teaching by grading papers, interacting with the students and helping improve students’ English.

When both parents Mike and Carrie Roberson found out about the news of their daughter moving to Germany, they not only fully supported their daughter, but celebrated with her as well.

“Whether in Germany or here in the U.S, I know Alyssa will be okay,” mother Carrie Roberson said. “Things happen, but I know God will watch over her and take care of her. We support her in anything that she wants to do, and I feel that God feels the same way.”

Alyssa is planning to come back after a year from Germany to attend a college at International House Of Prayers University along with boyfriend Matthis Schwarz in Kansas City. Schwarz surprisingly proposed while Alyssa was visiting in Germany during Spring Break, and she more than happily said yes.

Even though Alyssa is not going to college, she believes that God doesn’t have cookie cutter plans for people. While the future is uncertain, Alyssa is overjoyed to go to Germany and immerse herself to a new culture.

“I’m going to miss my family, and my mom doing my laundry, but I have to take the path that’s right for me,” Alyssa said. “I will go to college just not right after high school, it’s not going to be easy, but I’m certain that I’m suppose to do this.”

By Olivia Ong