Last week, a dozen German students visiting from one of Charlotte Latin’s sister schools — CJD Oberurff in Bad Zwesten, Germany — capped off their three-week journey to the United States with a ceremony celebrating the decades-long friendship between the two schools. The visitors joined Latin students to plant a tree that will grow in the years to come as a living symbol of our international connection.

Flinn Teichman ’28, Aaron Dunnigan ’26, and Global Ambassadors John Puyleart ’26 and Erik Anglemyer ’27 planted the tree with guidance from Stephen Starner, Co-Director of Facilities, who helped select the tree, prepare the site, and teach students how best to plant it. The tree, a Coral Bark Japanese Maple, was chosen in part because of the maples that thrive in Germany. 

CJD Oberurff and Charlotte Latin have been sister schools since 1989. Just as CJD Oberurff challenged Charlotte Latin (via Instagram) to plant a tree in a sign of international comity, Charlotte Latin has now invited three more sister schools to do the same: Colegio Carmen Arriola de Marín in Argentina, Hilton College in South Africa, and School Complex Sainte-Marie Grand Lebrun in France.

“Each time we gather with our sister schools, we’re reminded how connection transcends distance,” said Kelly Willis, Director of Global Studies. “This tree represents how our partnership continues to grow and flourish, just like our students.”