BLAIR COUNTY, Pa. -- Two very different career choices; one unforgettable overseas adventure. Two students at the Greater Altoona Career and Technology Center are among 25 selected from around the country to take part in a vocational scholarship program in Germany.

"I was kind of in awe," said 18-year-old Michael Maier. "I didn't think I would get accepted because they have so many people."

Maier is studying to be a dental assistant with dreams of becoming a dentist someday. While he is learning a lot at the Altoona Vo-Tech, he wants to get an extra leg up on the competition by living in Germany for a year. That's where he will hopefully be accepted to an internship.

"I think it will make greater opportunities for me to be eligible for more scholarships and it will hopefully lead to a better job opportunity," said Maier.

Maier isn't going alone. Jacob Parshall is also heading to Germany to advance his experience with precision machining. While the teens are excited about the opportunity, they admit they are a little nervous.

"I just have mixed emotions about the whole thing," said Parshall. "I am just graduating, fresh out of high school. I am leaving for a year, but this is a once in a life-time opportunity and I had to take advantage of that."

As part of the German training program, the boys will spend two months in a college-type setting, learning the language, the culture, the currency and more. Then they will be placed with a host family and apply to internships in their field.

Their guidance counselor at the vo-tech said the experience will not only help broaden their view of the world and life, it will also be quite a resume builder.

"If I knew there was a student at 18 years old that made the decision to leave their home, go to a foreign country and be successful," said counselor Pam Bono. "That just says a lot about that person and it certainly makes for a very well-rounded person."

The boys have now left for Germany. The school wants them to check in periodically so they can get other students interested in the applying for the German training program.