Back in 2014, Mitch emerged from his Year 11 German exam to the news that a surprise offer had come through at the eleventh hour for a SAGSE scholarship, sponsored by Mercedes-Benz. So Mitch grabbed his passport and packed his bags, to join the SAGSE 'stipis' of 2014 / 15. Off he went to a village near Hamburg, for 12 weeks with the Breisacher family. Upon his return to Australia, he was a great contributor to both GASS and SAGSE, as committee member and treasurer. Now, eleven years later, Mitch is still in touch with his host brother Merten and living in Germany with his German partner Karina.
Year of exchange: 2014 / 15
Sponsor: Mercedes-Benz
Group Leader: Mark Rowe
School: Westbourne Grammar School
German Teacher: Kerstin Keller
Town / city of exchange in Germany: Grönwohld, Schleswig-Holstein
Even after more than 10 years I look back very fondly on my time in Grönwohld with the Breisacher family. Coming from Melbourne, living in a tiny German village was equivalent to ending up on another planet, it certainly was a different pace of life to the big city. I was lucky enough to have an extremely welcoming and generous family as hosts, who seamlessly integrated me into their daily lives while I was there.
Some of the fond memories from my exchange include attending many family & village Christmas events, my first Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas market), our school’s Winter Dance and the many beautiful cities we visited on Free Travel. A particularly strong memory was helping out as a 'Kaffee & Kuchen' server at the village aged care home Christmas Party.
After returning from Germany and then finishing Year 12, I went on to study Financial Planning at Deakin Uni. Inspired by my SAGSE experience, I ended up back in Germany for a Study Abroad program in 2016, when I spent a month in Heidelberg. I also did another semester abroad in Newcastle, UK in 2018 where I was flatmates with my now partner, Karina.
Throughout my studies and since graduating I have worked in a variety of Finance and Technology roles in Consumer Goods, Construction and Banking. Before leaving Australia I was working for City Circle Recycling & Demolition, having also spent some time with ANZ Bank, Carlton & United Breweries and Barrett Pharmaceutical Distributors. Since moving to Germany, I have worked for Toyota Financial Services in the European regional Finance team.
I left Melbourne in 2024 to join Karina living in Germany and have settled in Mönchengladbach, where she grew up. We spend a lot of time watching and attending sport and I am enjoying not having to get up in the middle of the night to watch European Football. Living in a very connected part of Germany & Europe, we also love making day and weekend trips around Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium & France.
Although we didn’t meet through SAGSE / GASS, the incredible experience of the SAGSE exchange triggered a chain of events that ultimately led to my life ending up back in Germany with Karina. I have no doubt that without the opportunity of a SAGSE exchange I wouldn't have found myself living in Germany now.
Looking back through the many sliding doors moments of how I found myself where I am now normally leads me back to the phone call I received in late 2014. Interestingly, I was not initially offered a scholarship but only a reserve who was ‘promoted’ when someone else withdrew only 5 days before the departure. Accepting the exchange opportunity on 5 days’ notice and then undertaking a life-changing experience in Germany, SAGSE’s influence on my life was to say yes whenever an opportunity presents itself.
Having bought a house here at the start of 2025, we are very happy to be settled and looking forward to a busy year of travel and events in 2026. We are hoping to be home in Australia for Christmas 2026 where Karina is looking forward to experiencing her first warm Christmas.
Being involved on both the GASS & SAGSE committees since returning from exchange gave me the opportunity to give back to the programs that supported me. As GASSies and & SAGSE community members, we should be working hard to ensure our programs can continue for long into the future. These life changing experiences should be experienced by as many people as possible for as long as possible.