But getting comfortable in the German big leagues made me just a bit more ambitious to take my German skills to the next level. In Frau Omlid's class, I managed to jump from the pre-AP III level to AP IV with my love for German grammar (bet you've never heard that one before!), and as many of you will do down the line, I took the AAPPL test, just right before COVID came knocking and moved our classes to Zoom. I passed this exam, receiving the Colorado State Seal of Biliteracy in the process. The real difference came from passing the AP test (which in itself is a funny story that is a bit long for here, but if any of you ask during our meetings I will gladly tell it). The preparation that came with that and Frau Omlid's continued encouragement ended up playing a big role in my language placement exam at CSU, which saw me jump all the way to college junior-level German.
So, here I am, a senior at CSU. Originally planning on majoring in Political Science and minoring in German, that leap made a massive difference in my possibilities for undergraduate degrees. Through a good bit of trial and tribulation, I can proudly say that next spring, I will be graduating with degrees in Political Science, German, and European International Studies, all supplemented by my minors in Russian Studies and Legal Studies. Turns out, the German language is a great way of getting introduced into Europe, as Germany is the economic juggernaut of the European Union and German is a very popular second language in Eastern Europe. All kinds of products, such as groceries, clothes, and even electronics, typically have a list of what they contain in German, which is really useful since I still can't understand cooking instructions in Danish.
