Jens Kroeger

With a desire to develop his English Language skills, Jens Kroeger chose to enhance his secondary education with a year's study programme in New Zealand enrolling at Henderson High School in Auckland.

From the outset, Jens enjoyed all aspects of his New Zealand education. "The people are just wonderful: friendly, helpful, reliable and open-minded. At my high school, the variety of classes was amazing and the combination of subjects of personal interest was very flexible. The teachers helped with questions at any time, and countless events and tirps were organised."

A particular highlight for Jens was the opportunity to travel around New Zealand and experience the country's attractions. "Only one thing can be said about the environment: incomparable and amazing! The most beautiful landscapes can be found in this glorious country. It is unbelievable that all the natural wonders like geysers, waterfalls, lush National Parks, volcanoes, mountains and endless beaches can be found in such a small country, and also all those seals, penguins, whales...

I spent all my free weekends and holidays travelling around the beautiful country. Travelling around New Zealand is wonderful, exploring the country either the inexpensive way with 'Kiwi Experience' (bus tours) or by car. The roads are very good and well sign-posted; a very low speed limit for us Europeans though."

Following his New Zealand education, Jens completed a Hotel Management Training programme in London and then trained to be a Travel Agent in Germany. With inspiration from his own experiences, Jens is now a qualified travel agent for Hapag-Loyd Cruises, a traditional luxury cruises operator in Hamburg. "My language skills and the ability to adapt to different people and views have helped me a lot."

For students contemplating a New Zealand education, his advice is simple. "Go for it it's the chance of your lifetime! You will never be able to do that twice in your life and as hard and frustrating as it might get at times you will miss it ever after. It has been the most remarkable experience in my life and been a positive point in my life, for my education and on my Curriculum Vitae".