By Caleb Youngblood, Public Relations Coordinator
February 12, 2025
Petra Herrmann, from Starkville, MS, and Seth Armstead, from Vancleave, MS, both students at The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science (MSMS), have been awarded Gold Medals and special recognition on the National German Exam Honor Roll for their outstanding performances on the 2025 National German Exam for High School Students. Prior to coming to MSMS, Petra attended Starkville High School, and Seth attended Vancleave High School.
Petra Herrmann earned this award after scoring in the 95th percentile on the Level 2 exam, while Seth Armstead achieved recognition after scoring in the 90th percentile. Both participated in the 2025 National German Exam, sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG).
Over 12,000 students participated in the Levels 2-4 program this year, marking the 65th anniversary of the National German Exam. The program rewards students through an extensive prize structure and provides a benchmark for comparing student performance across the United States. Angelika Becker, German Teacher at Carmel High School in Carmel, Indiana, and AATG President, expressed her congratulations, saying, “The AATG congratulates these excellent students and their outstanding performance. The results reflect not only the hard work of the individual students but also the dedication of their teachers, the support of their families, and the school districts. Herzlichen Glückwunsch, gut gemacht!”
In response to receiving the Gold Medal, Petra shared, “It’s a very nice feeling to be placing in the top 95th percentile and earning gold for the second year in a row. The result is great encouragement to continue learning German in college and ideally use it in everyday life and my future career.”
When asked about the most important lesson she’s learned while studying German, Petra said, “The most difficult but important lesson that I have learned while taking German is to make an effort to practice a little bit each day to improve your vocabulary and force yourself to remember and practice implementing rules that might differ from English.”
Petra also shared her enthusiasm for the class, stating, “This has been one of my favorite classes at MSMS and I would highly recommend it to future MSMS students. My instructor is extremely knowledgeable and very easy to communicate with. This allows for a comfortable learning environment where it is easy to ask questions and seek clarification even for students who may not enjoy speaking up in class.”
Seth Armstead, reflecting on his experience, mentioned, “At this stage of German, even if I’m part of the top 10% who took the Level 2, I have so much left to learn about the language itself. I don’t consider myself decently versed in the language, and I can’t imagine how, at my level, I made the 90th percentile because I feel so novice about my knowledge. However, it is a welcome surprise, and I would be lying if I said I was not grateful.”
Seth also shared some of his fun and effective learning methods, saying, “We’ve played games in German, done logic puzzles in German, watched German television, and done some silly assignments that force me to think about how to translate something that I would say in English to simple German.”
As for the future, Seth is excited to apply for a study abroad opportunity in Germany. Some students that scored in the 90th percentile were contacted about the scholarship. He explained, “I first heard of the scholarship when I was receiving my Gold medal. I didn’t originally want to apply for it, thinking I’d be too busy with colleges. But after hearing about the trip, my mom was all for it, and now I’m more excited than ever to study German.” Seth, who was born in Germany, is especially looking forward to visiting his birthplace and experiencing the landscape, castles, and remnants of the Berlin Wall. He added, “Visiting Germany would be nice for me as I was born in Germany! For the first time in my life, I have a chance to go back to my birthplace and see what it was like.”
Both Petra Herrmann and Seth Armstead are students of Lori LeVar Pierce, German teacher at The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science.
Founded in 1926, the AATG represents German teachers at all levels of instruction. The AATG is dedicated to the advancement and improvement of the teaching of language, literature, and culture of the German-speaking countries.
To learn more about the AATG/PAD National German Exam Scholarship, please visit https://www.nge.aatg.org/ngescholarship