JYM Class of 2011 – 11th reunion in Munich!
The class of 2011 had their 11th reunion in Munich in May 2022! The planning was highly successful thanks to a very engaged planning committee. Dylan Moore, who's living in Berlin got the ball rolling, was joined by Sarah Finder who was at that time living near Nuremberg. Other committee members who attended the reunion were Marcus Dorstel, Jessica Bock and local Jake Krengel. JYM asked Sarah of the planning committee how the reunion went!
When did your class start planning the reunion?
The planning for a class reunion for the class of 2011 began in December 2020, when a small group of alumni living in Germany reached out to old friends across the pond about reuniting in Munich. Pretty quickly, a planning committee came together and held regular meetings with JYM admin staff to organize both a fundraiser for JYM and plan their 10-year reunion. Spirits were high despite the pandemic, and quickly the coincidence of pushing back the 10-year reunion to become an 11-year reunion for the class of 2011 was well received.
The first event of your reunion took place at JYM – tell us about that!
and has them refresh their signatures on the JYM 2011 Goethe bust.
The reunion weekend commenced with a gathering on Friday night, May 6th, at JYM at the traditional Bavarian Party. The then-current JYM students (2021-22), staff, professors, and alumni mingled over beers, pretzels, and meatballs. Over 13 alumni and their families (and a dog) joined in, and the weekend got off to a celebratory start! The two classes of JYM students – 10 years apart—enjoyed getting to know one another and comparing notes.
Monopteros in the English Gardens with view of old town.
Where did you have your main reunion event?
The celebrations continued on Saturday, May 7th in the evening at the Paulaner Brauhaus near
Viktualienmarkt with a tour of the Brauhaus. Alongside a tasting of the brews made in-house and served directly from the tap, the participants enjoyed a plentiful Brotzeitteller with an assortment of pretzels and freshly baked breads. After the tour, the remaining alumni and their families joined in for a hearty Bavaria dinner. Alongside Wiener Schnitzels, Schweine Haxen, and Kartoffelsalat, laughter, and cheer were in abundance as old classmates swapped stories about their favorite memories of their study abroad in Munich and what they have been up to since. In a typical class of 2011 fashion, the group was the last ones to leave the Brauhaus for the night!
What other activities did your group have in Munich during your reunion?
All in all, it was a special weekend for all who joined; many of us could revisit old stomping grounds and partake in Bavarian traditions again (like drinking a Maß at Frühlingsfest!). Outside of the main events of the weekend, old friends visited the English Gardens, shared a Weißwurstfrühstück, biked out to Studentenstadt, and devoured Döner/falafel between adventures. Needless to say, the weekend successfully reconnected old classmates, and many new memories were made.
A few of you planned an overnight hike after the main event – where did you go and how was it?
A small group also made it out to the Alps to have a few days of hiking together. We shared a large vacation rental in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and enjoyed grilling in the evenings with a gorgeous view of the snow-capped mountains in the distance. If any other classes want to hold a similar reunion in Munich, we can pass on the recommendations for this place!
Sarah Finder and Dylan Moore enjoying the first night of the reunion at JYM.
More about Sarah
Sarah Finder returned to Germany in Sept. 2013 to do a master's program at Technische Universität München in sustainability and had lived in Bayern and worked in München ever since. She used the class reunion as the perfect excuse to visit all her favorite spots in Munich with old friends before her next big adventure to Canada.
Despite all the wonderful things that life in Germany has to offer, she and her German husband (who works in forestry) left in the summer of 2022 for British Columbia. Sarah is pursuing a graduate degree in primary education there. JYM wishes her and her husband the best of luck in Canada!