From the land down under: Aussie learning the right notes of life in America

Photo: Earl Horlyk

"Ronja Jung, 27, still needs to remind herself that a hallway is simply another name for a corridor, a parking lot means the same thing as a car park, and that measurements can be made in inches as well as in centimeters." reports Earl Horlyk, Columnist. 

Photo: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

"The last part's a bit tricky, since it's hard to pick up inches and feet when you're so used to the metric system," Jung said.

So how did she learn about the standard measurement system? Why, after dining at a well-known chain sub sandwich restaurant, of course.

With a pronounced Australian accent, Jung is used to sticking out.

Western Iowa Tech Community College instructor Mark Schmedinghoff knew Jung was something special when she first enrolled in his band instrument repair program more than three years ago.

"Ronja is a musician who really wanted to know how instruments worked," Schmedinghoff said of Jung, who is proficient on many woodwind instruments.

After all, Jung, a former Brisbane, Australia resident, was willing to move across the world in order to attend the program.

According to Schmedinghoff, WIT is one of only three schools in the United States to offer a two-year band instrument repair program. Jung said no Australian school had anything similar.

"I wanted to get involved in instrument repair and I was willing to travel in order to learn about it," Jung said.

Even though she graduated with an associate degree in May 2014, Jung quickly got a job as a band instrument technician at Ray's Mid-Bell Music.
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Source: Sioux City Journal