Emma's application essay

My name is Emma. I live in Rochester MN and am in fifth grade.  My Grandma Peggy's house is decorated with Norwegian stuff. Grandma Peggy (Margaret Miller) is 100% Norwegian and when she was little her last name was Lynne. She tells me that is a Norwegian farm name in Hadeland and lots of other ancestors have that name because of that.  That is pretty amazing, I think.  Also my mom's name is Lynne and so is my middle name. I want to learn more about Norway because I want to learn more about where my name is from.  I like to meet new friends, and maybe I will meet a real Norwegian. I also love swimming and art!
Sincerely,
Emma Lynne Wendorf

Emma joined us at the 2017 Høst Samling and provided this report on her Skogfjorden experience

My name is Emma Wendorf.  I am 11 years old and in the 6^th grade.   I would like to thank you for the scholarship money to attend Skogfjorden last summer.  This was the first time I have ever gone to camp. Skogfjorden was so much fun!  I was given a Norwegian name which was Unni.  I enjoyed learning to count in Norwegian and many Norwegian words like smør amd brød.  We shook the cream in a container to make the smør.  I made bracelets for my mom and brother and learned how to weave yarn, I drank water from an underground water pump.  I loved staying in the dormitory called Molde and ate in the Gimle.  We learned songs in Norwegian and made friends.  Being at camp helped me to learn more and appreciate my Norwegian Heritage.   I have had such a fun time that I am hoping to go back next summer.

Thank you!

Emma Wendorf

Finn's application essay

My name is Finn Horak and I am 12 years old.  I am a 7th grader.  My mother and grandmother are members of the Hadeland Lag.

My ancestors came from Jevnaker in Hadeland and immigrated to Argyle, Wisconsin, in 1848, 1853, and 1870.   I can trace my family in Hadeland  all the way back to Morten Amundsen who was born about 1616 and lived on a farm called Gaarsrud. My Grandma took a trip to Hadeland a few years ago to visit this area.  I'd like to go there too someday and use my Norwegian.

I've been going to Skogfjorden since I was 8 years old.  The first time I went for a one week session, but the last couple of years I have gone for two weeks.  I really think it is a place where Norwegian is taught in a way that is fun, engaging and interactive. Instead of being taught Norwegian in a classroom,  we learn through games, singing, activities, and performance.  This year I will be in the "grøn streng grupper."  Part of this level is learning vocabulary that you could use if you were going to live in Norway.  I hope this might come in handy if I travel there someday.

Over time, I hope to learn how to have a more fluid conversation with people, instead of having to stop and start constantly. I'd like to be able to speak faster and without hesitation.  Last year I had in my cabin a counselor from Norway.  I loved listening to his dialect, learning about Scandinavian current events and modern Norwegian culture.  I hope to meet another counselor from Norway at Skogfjorden this summer.  I hope as I keep getting better with my language skills I can learn about grammar and how to write in Norwegian.

I am fascinated by Norwegian history, especially the Viking and Dark Ages. I've read many books about the history of Norway  and I am always looking for more to read.  I'd like to be a historian one day.  I also play the violin and am learning to play the hardanger fiddle. I recently won a geography bee at my school and just took a test last week to see if I can go to the state competition.   I am on my school's Knowledge Bowl team  where my focus is on history and geography. I've even had a question about Norwegian geography on one of my tests!    In my spare time, I enjoy reading, playing my keyboard and violinm and playing video games.

Finn joined us at the 2017 Høst Samling and used a slideshow to present his report.