A pair of best friends who met during a study abroad exchange program between a school in West Kirby England and Pine City were reunited late last month after spending the last several years separated due to the pandemic.
Jennie Berglund and Becky Call were paired together by chance after filling out a questionnaire.
"She (Jennie) was playing in a marching band, and I was learning to drum at the time because my father is a drummer," Call told WCMP. "Because I put drumming, they paired us."
Jennie said she couldn’t believe how great a match they were for each based on that one question.
"We both had Pearl Jam posters on our wall, and we dressed the same. I just couldn't believe how much we had in common, and all we did was fill out a questionnaire. It was some type of divine intervention that the two of us ended up together."
The exchange program was set up by Brian and Judy Scholin after Brian took part in a Fulbright Teacher Exchange in the early 1990s.
Brian had been attached to a grammar school in West Kirby, England, a peninsula community located about 12 miles from Liverpool.
The Scholin’s connection to England went deeper than the teacher exchange. Judy spent time in the late '70s living in the country while she student taught.
"We just kept thinking that we should extend the experience to other people, and as teachers, we wanted to extend it to our students," said Brian.
Extending that experience to every student was important for the Scholins, so they worked to make it as accessible as possible since international travel is not cheap.
"We sold a lot of tacos, hot dogs, and nachos," joked Judy.
The groups were split into two trips where students spent about ten days in either country. Becky came to Pine City in October of 1994, and Jennie went to West Kirby in March of 1995.
Both women experienced a big culture shock when traveling to each city, but Becky said that the Minnesota Nice made a huge impact on her, especially when coming from a culture known for its resolute stiff upper lip.
"When I'm here, everyone's saying they love me and hugging and everyone is so friendly. With the Berglund's in particular, I don't think I had that nurturing experience before. There was this mom who would bake cookies and leave them on the counter for us, so I just felt safe in that environment. I always say, if you cut me open and look at my heart, it will be in the shape of Minnesota."
Jennie got to watch firsthand as Becky experienced Pine City for the first time after she stepped off the plane.
"We went to Lee's Pro Shop so she could get a Pine City Dragons green coat. I mean, she just fell in love with our small town."
Over in England, Becky had the same experience with Jennie as they went out to clubs and toured all the sights in Liverpool, and their friendship stuck.
Jennie ended up moving to England for a while after graduating college to student teach, and the pair tried to visit each other every few years whenever possible up until the pandemic when out-of-country travel was stopped all over the world.
The pair had not seen each other in person for a couple of years, so once it was safe to travel, a group got together to surprise Jennie.
She was told to keep August 25th open; however, the surprise almost did not happen.
"I'm a teacher, so I had gone back to school already," Jennie told WCMP. "I had been at school for like 13 hours. I almost canceled, but I showed up at the restaurant and everyone was sitting there. From behind me, I hear, 'Is this seat taken?' in a British accent, and I just stared at her for almost 45 seconds. It was an out-of-body experience."
The exchange program lasted for 11 years. Brian and Judy Scholin said their children grew up and their lives changed as other activities took up their time. They tried to find another person to head the program, but no one showed interest.
The Scholin’s say that Becky and Jennie’s relationship is a testament to the impact the program had on the students that took part. It was able to be maintained through handwritten letters and the odd, expensive international call before social media became the force it is today.
When life got in the way and the relationship waned, Jennie said it was easy for them to pick back up.
"Every time we reconnect, its like we never left each other. It's one of those friendships where you pick it up immediately."
Having to stay away from the US for so long was hard for Becky because she considers Pine City her home. To her, there’s nothing like spending time on Cross Lake, smelling the late summer air, or experiencing the community that embraced her when she first arrived in America for an exchange program in late 1994
"I feel much more drawn to this country than my own country," Becky told WCMP. "That feeling when we landed and that smell in the air, it's home. I feel so much more comfortable and relaxed here than in any other place. The people in this town in particular the nicest people you'll ever meet."
Picture provided.
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