Kaiser ist 2025-26 Austauschstudent aus Crailsheim, Deutschland

WORTHINGTON — Fiona Kaiser barely had a chance to experience her new hometown of Worthington before she was whisked away by her host family on a road trip to California, returning just a day before she began classes at Worthington High School.

Kaiser, 18, is the 2025-26 exchange student from Crailsheim, Germany. While she’d never before been to the United States, she has already traveled through portions of nine states in her first 12 days.

“I’m really lucky,” she said of her introduction to the U.S., noting she went to Disneyland, Los Angeles, saw Hollywood Boulevard, drove past Beverly Hills, visited the Santa Monica Pier and saw the desert. She and her hosts, 2024-25 exchange student to Crailsheim Melanie Cerda and her family, arrived back in Worthington at 2 a.m. Sunday.

Kaiser was chosen as Crailsheim’s student ambassador to Worthington earlier this year. It was her second time applying for the trip — she had done so last year, when Lilli Gebert was ultimately chosen by the Crailsheim committee.

“I really became interested in the program and thought it was cool,” she shared. After coming in second place to Gebert, she said, “I wanted even more to get to Worthington and experience it. This time I had the luck and won.”

Kaiser spent her earlier years growing up in Ingersheim, then moved to Crailsheim as a teen and lived the past year in Jagstheim. Both Ingersheim and Jagstheim are smaller communities near Crailsheim.

Her parents are Thomas and Anna-Lena (stepmom) and Kathleen, and she has a half-sister who is just a year old.

Kaiser began learning English in first grade, and has taken both French and Spanish in school in Crailsheim. She is hoping to improve her Spanish language skills while spending the next 11 months in Worthington.

During the school year, she will be enrolled in Spanish, U.S. History, Trojan News, marching band, theater, public speaking, biology and a cooking class. She will play tennis during the fall, and is considering trying out for cheerleading and dance.

Kaiser will stay with the Cerda family through late October, and then move to her next host family. She arrived about a month later than the exchange traditionally happens.

“It was really hard to get a visa appointment and my 18th birthday was Aug. 9,” she said. “I asked the committee if I could wait until after that for my flight.”

Thus far, she’s been able to sample Mexican food — tacos and tortas — and they visited an In-and-Out Burger and Raising Cane's while in California.

During her free time, Kaiser said she likes dancing and music, loves theater, cooking and baking.

“In Crailsheim, I was a coach of a little dance group — cheerleading mixed with dance,” she said. “I also like to spend time with friends and go shopping.”

Kaiser looks forward to being fully immersed in the American lifestyle, gaining new friends and learning the culture.

“I’m hoping it will feel like a second home,” she said, adding that she experienced a bit of homesickness already, but it’s getting better. “I’m excited to experience life in Worthington.”

When her exchange year comes to an end, Kaiser will return to school in Crailsheim for two more years, then she hopes to study to become a primary teacher.

“Maybe travel around the world a bit,” she added. “Do something with kids, I think.”

Julie Buntjer became editor of The Globe in July 2021, after working as a beat reporter at the Worthington newspaper since December 2003. She has a bachelor's degree in agriculture journalism from South Dakota State University.