Melina applied for the scholarship in her first year of training. She is now 21 and, as she says, “just old enough for New York.” Along with ten other trainees from various fields across Germany, she traveled to the USA in September 2024. She fondly remembers the flight to New York, where she immediately sensed a strong bond forming with her fellow participants—connections she hopes will last well into the future.

Together, they lived in a student dormitory on the Upper East Side—a location Melina describes as “an incredible privilege.” It took her 20 minutes by subway to get to work. During her stay, she worked for JLC Environmental, a small company focused on analyzing asbestos and lead in building samples. The differences from DELO were striking: “It was very different from home because the regulations in the USA are simply different. It took me a moment to get used to it.” The DELO standards, especially in direct comparison, are very good.

The trainee quickly took a liking to the city—despite all the contrasts. “You can do whatever you want there—you’re effectively invisible to everyone else,” she describes her experience. In the work environment, the motto “from rags to riches” is still very much alive, she says. However, for most, it remains at rags, as she noticed with her colleagues: “You can really get lost in this system and find it hard to get out.”

Melina particularly enjoyed exploring the exciting city with all its facets. She raves about the Met Museum and the Museum of Modern Art, where she could admire works by renowned artists like Frida Kahlo and Van Gogh. She spent her weekends in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where she visited many pop-up stores, second-hand shops, and cozy cafés with her new friends.

Melina's return to Germany was filled with mixed emotions. On one hand, she was excited to work again at DELO, where she feels “challenged and supported.” On the other hand, her stay was a wonderful and enriching experience, both personally and professionally. The experiences helped her broaden her horizons and appreciate the opportunities available to her in Germany even more.