Nicholas “Nico” Conforti, a student at Pope John Paul II Catholic High School, was recently awarded an all-expense-paid summer study trip to the Federal Republic of Germany.

Conforti

Conforti was one of about 23,000 students who competed for the study trip by participating in a nationwide German testing program administered by the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG).

Forty-four students were selected to receive the prizes.

There are two awards: 39 regular study trips lasting three and a half weeks, and five senior study trips lasting one month.  The study trip awards have been made possible annually for over 50 years by a grant from the Federal Republic of Germany through its Embassy in Washington, D.C.

Conforti and the other winners will travel to Germany this summer to participate in the study trip, including excursions of cultural and historic interest.

Conforti is the only student from the state of Alabama to receive this award.  His German teacher is Ludwig Gustafson.

Founded in 1926, the AATG is the only national organization representing German teachers at all levels of instruction.  The AATG is dedicated to the advancement and improvement of the teaching of language, literature and culture of the German-speaking countries.