German students give back to the community at Sister Cities of Wilmington spring flower planting. 

Students and faculty of UD’s German program joined with other volunteers on Saturday, April 25, 2026 to assist the Sister Cities of Wilmington at their annual flower planting session in the Sister Cities Garden in Brandywine Park in Wilmington. 

There are five areas within the garden that celebrate the friendship and association of Wilmington and its sister cities: Kalmar, Sweden; Fulda, Germany; Osogbo, Nigeria; Olevano sul Tusciano, Italy; and Nemours, France. 

“So many students showed up early on a Saturday morning to show just how much we all value the opportunity to give back to the community that has continued to support the German program at UD,” said Diane Richardson, assistant professor of German in the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.  

Each year, the Wilmington Sister Cities and the Delaware Saengerbund graciously provide stipends to two outstanding German students that cover their flights to and from Germany for the Fulda International Summer University. Tuition and housing for the program are provided by the city of Fulda and the German-American Women’s Club of Fulda. 

Robin Depto and Reece Makary are the 2026 recipients of the Sister Cities scholarship Fulda. 

Depto is in his fifth year as an electrical engineering major with a linguistics minor who is completing the German for Engineering certificate. 

“I want to have a research career in which I can collaborate with others in Germany, with its historical and continued strengths in quantum science,” He said. ”The Fulda program will increase my familiarity with German customs as well as advance my language skills.” 

Makary is an honors double major in mechanical engineering and German. 

“Being able to go and study abroad is so meaningful for my education,” he said. “Being immersed in a different culture is one of the best ways to learn new things about that culture and its people, which I feel is the best reason to learn a new language.” 

Both expressed gratitude to all their sponsors for supporting the program. 

Tom Vail, UD German Club president and DLLC student ambassador, has described the event as a rewarding experience and encouraged other German Club members to participate in the future. If you’re in Wilmington in the springtime, be sure to stop by the gardens and enjoy the flowers, which are replanted each year and represent the colors of the respective sister cities' national flags.