by Megan Saul and Tanvi Ambekar

Editor-in-Chief and Opinion Editor

Joining Los Gatos High School as a junior this year, Ann-Katrin Zu Wittgenstein is already a force to be reckoned with in the classroom and on the field. 

Zu Wittgenstein is from Düsseldorf, Germany, currently participating in an exchange student program and staying in the United States for a school year. In Germany, Zu Wittgenstein enjoys playing sports and spending time with her family and friends. Her older siblings heavily inspired her move to the US. Her two older brothers, aged 20 and 18, have done similar exchange programs; her oldest brother took part in a San Francisco high school exchange program while her middle brother came through a college exchange at the University of Mississippi. This inspired Zu Wittgenstein to come to the US as well, but despite her excitement, she misses her family back in Germany. Before they left, the five of them visited Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Death Valley, and California’s Universal Studios. Because her father is very close with her American host family, Zu Wittgenstein feels fairly comfortable living in the US so far. However, she awaits the day in 2026 when she can see her family again. She is also part of the LGHS field hockey team and has explored Los Gatos’s food scene with some of her teammates. She noted that Crumbl Cookies is one of her favorite places she has tried in the US. 

In terms of school, Zu Wittgenstein has mixed feelings. Her course load, which includes Spanish 1, PreCalculus Honors, Clothing & Fashion Design, US History, and English 11, is hectic to say the least. The concept of walking across a massive campus for each class contrasts heavily with the German system, where 31 students stay in one classroom for the whole day. A single teacher instructs these 31 students in the same classroom for two consecutive years, allowing students to rest in between classes, keep long-term friendships, and chat daily with seatmates. 

Since an early age, Zu Wittgenstein has been playing field hockey. She shared, “My brother played it, then my other brother, and then I started playing with my brother’s friend’s sister. Our parents wanted us to try it, and we were four years old, so I’ve just gotten used to it.” You can find Zu Wittgenstein anywhere on the field, as she plays a little of every position. In Germany, she played for HTC Uhlenhorst Mülheim, where she helped the team win the 2023 German National Championships for the under-14 age group. At LGHS, she continues to play hockey, primarily as a midfielder. Zu Wittgenstein remarked, “I love being with my teammates, having a good time.”

Electric on the hockey field and humble everywhere else, Zu Wittgenstein is a prime example of how passion and responsibility can coexist. Even while following in her brothers’ footsteps through field hockey and US exchange, Zu Wittgenstein is paving her own path forward as she navigates the chaos of American high school life.