Junior Simon Graef moved to Kentucky from Berlin, Germany as part of an exchange program. He quickly adapted to the new environment by getting involved in track and other activities with his new classmates. Shortly after starting school in Kentucky, he moved to Oklahoma to continue his exchange program here at Harding.  

To Graef, Berlin and Oklahoma City are very different, from school to culture and city structure. 

“School here looks different,” Graef said. “You have lockers, and it looks more like schools in movies.”  

Graef compares Berlin to be a bigger version of downtown Oklahoma City.

“The buildings [in Berlin] are closer together, and you have a lot of people walking to get where they’re going,” he said.  

The biggest difference to Graef is the culture.

“German people are not as open. They are introverts,” Graef said. “The people here are very friendly.” 

Graef is involved with several school activities and clubs, such as playing hockey, choir, and being part of crew for the play “Radium Girls.”  

Back in Berlin, he also spent time as a DJ. He plays guitar and piano, but he likes producing music the most. He was being mentored by another DJ that was helping him learn, find gigs, and make connections.  

“I try to get bigger and play in big clubs, but they don’t have that for me here,” Graef said. “My host mother owns a cafe, and she is letting me DJ there sometimes.” 

In his free time, Graef loves to watch football. His favorite football teams are the Oklahoma Sooners, the Ohio State Buckeyes, and for professional football, his favorite is the Dallas Cowboys, because it is “the closest NFL team to here.”  

Graef notes that the food here is different. “We don’t have a lot of fast food in Berlin either,” he said. His favorite is Wendy’s.  

While he is enjoying his time in America, he does get homesick from time to time. Berlin has more activities to be able to go out and participate in spontaneously.

“I miss my friends and my siblings the most,” he said.