Herman Buckman, 2025 Gates Millennium Scholar, Reflects On His Development

When Herman Buckman pursues psychology and law of society at Oberlin College this fall, he will do so without any concern about how to cover room, board, books and the other expenses that may burden some of his peers.

For Buckman, such a scenario represents not only hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings, but the fulfillment of a vision that was born during his junior year, when he first got a taste of life outside of the District during a year-long study tour in Germany.

“There was definitely culture shock,” said Buckman, 18, a soon-to-be alumnus of KIPP DC— College Preparatory Academy Public Charter School in Northeast, as he spoke about his participation in the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) high school program.

During the 2023-2024 school year, Buckman counted among 300 high school students and recent high school graduates who received scholarships from the U.S. State Department to study abroad in Germany. For an entire school year, he and other participants immersed themselves in the German language while attending high school, living with a host family, traveling across the country, and meeting with U.S. and German government officials.

As Buckman recounted, he gained insight about himself while interacting with peers from across the U.S. and around the world.

Read the full article here.