'Challenging but enjoyable': The story of "Nino" Mangiapane and the Bethel/Wuppertal partnership
'Challenging but enjoyable': The story of "Nino" Mangiapane and the Bethel/Wuppertal partnership
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, two foreign exchange students from Wuppertal, Germany were stuck in North Newton. One stayed.
The cooperation with the University of Wuppertal (located in Wuppertal, Germany) is not only one of Bethel College’s longest-standing traditions but also one of its most special ones.
Wuppertal and Bethel are two different institutions altogether and reside across the globe from each other, which makes it that much more interesting to be a part of this amazing program. Whereas Bethel is a small private college, Wuppertal educates over 20,000 students as a large community college.
Since the first student from Wuppertal — which boasts its public transportation and access to hotspots like Cologne, Düsseldorf, and the Netherlands — came to Bethel in 1951, the 450-student school in North Newton “[has been] really successful in getting students from Wuppertal to come here [and study abroad] every year, but I [also] encourage more Threshers to go to Germany,” Dan Quinlin, professor of languages who is responsible for the studying abroad program, said.
During his junior year of college in 1979, Quinlin himself did an internship with the United Nations (UN) in Geneva, Switzerland where he worked for the Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS), which is part of the Economic and Social Council of the UN. During his internship, he helped in areas such as research, translation, working with NGOs, attending meetings, and much more.
It’s safe to say that Quinlin values the experience of studying abroad.
“During that time, I realized that what I’m here is not what I want to do in my future, but I learned so much more for my development as an individual, my understanding of the world and other people’s worldview,” Quinlin said. “I know that it’s scary to leave your family behind and move to a different country, but it’s worth the experience. Every challenge that you will face during that time will teach you something. I think that’s a big step.”
This came to a screeching halt in March 2020 with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic which saw the temporary end of all exchange programs. During that time, Carmen Ariza and Antonino (Nino) Mangiapane were two of the Wuppertal students staying at Bethel. Ariza elected to return home. Nino, however, ended up making one of the biggest decisions of his life.
He stayed at Bethel.
Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with Nino, who graduated from Bethel in 2022 and still lives in Newton. In our conversation, Nino told me why he decided to come to Bethel and what ultimately encouraged him to stay.
With the goal of becoming an English teacher in Germany, it’s required for students to stay abroad in the United States for a specific amount of time to improve their understanding of the language. This was one of many reasons for Nino’s arrival at Bethel.
“It was important for me to look for a smaller school with fewer students than the university I was currently attending,” Nino explained. “I was also interested in experiencing how faith and academics work together and provide the best learning environment for students.”
Even though it was, in fact, challenging for him to get used to the changes in language, norms, and values, he still points out how he tried to focus on the positives: “it was challenging … but enjoyable.”
“My decision to stay in [America] and not go back to Wuppertal was the most difficult decision [I’ve] ever had to make,” Nino said. Along with many other factors, one main catalyst for his decision was his degree — which he only had one year left to obtain from Bethel.
Being far away from family and friends can be — and is — different for every international student, and telling relatives that they won’t be coming back is very difficult, as it was for Nino. He explains how his family tried to encourage him to come back to Germany after graduating from Bethel, but Nino “already [had his] mind set [on staying in] the United States.”
“I told my family and friends about my [plans and goals] for my future and they quickly understood and expressed their full support,” Nino said.
Nino noted that he would encourage fellow Threshers to study abroad in Germany, emphasizing the unique experiences that students get when going to Wuppertal, which already has a high number of international students. It’s for this reason that the school offers a wide variety of courses in English.
“My decision to stay in [America] and not go back to Wuppertal was the most difficult decision [I’ve] ever had to make.”
Antonino (Nino) Mangiapane
“The [exchange] students [are] introduced to other students from the university that will help them navigate their new environment and be available for help during their entire stay,” Nino said. “Support for foreign exchange students includes helping them to find housing during their time in Wuppertal, being a travel guide for sightseeing, and informing students of upcoming events for international students.”
Now, years after his own experience as an exchange student, Nino is not only a Bethel alum but also an employee of the institution’s business office — and still giving back to the community that introduced him to a world of new opportunities.