This August and September, 16-year-old Kaleb Anchetta traveled from Sindelfingen, Germany, to attend Latin for the opening weeks of the 2025-26 school year, honing his field hockey skills and building lifelong memories.
A multitalented and multicultural student-athlete, Kaleb wants to become a doctor, has family from Guatemala and El Salvador, plays four instruments—piano, cello, guitar, and the flute—and is the captain of his German field hockey club team.
“We just have club hockey, we don’t have school teams, so [I] play three times a week with my team, and we have some games on the weekends,” he said.
Kaleb views his exchange program as not only an exposure to a different culture, but an opportunity to hone his field hockey skills further, timing his trip to align with the beginning of fall sports. “I wanted to play more [field] hockey because I’m on summer break in Germany, so I’m not able to play there, and it’s a nice way to improve my English, too,” he said.
Kaleb has enjoyed playing with the Latin teams. “It’s nice, it’s different,” Kaleb said. “I’m still getting used to the turf, it’s very different to mine. But it’s fun to play here, [and] all the girls are very nice, friendly.”
Varsity girls field hockey Head Coach MacKenzie Mick commented on his inclusion in the program, saying, “Kaleb has offered great insight to our team during practices and team huddles. He has a different skill set that we don't get to see very often in America, and it's helpful to have him here for the athletes to learn from.”
In Germany, Kaleb plays field hockey for SV Böblingen, a prominent club program in his hometown, and after a fierce season of games against other hockey programs, led them to victory in the state championship this past July.
“It was so exciting actually to play [at the championship], especially when we reached the shootouts,” Kaleb said.
But his excitement extended to the entire journey. “From the beginning, we played very well,” he said. “We lost one game in the whole season.”
“I love my team, really. We have a pretty good team chemistry, and we get along very well. We’re all best friends,” Kaleb said. “We played so well together this season, and we’re looking forward to the German Championship, which will be in October.”
Along with further exploring his field hockey passion, Kaleb is attending classes in the Upper School. “I’m taking [Honors Spanish: Inter. High], Honors Precalculus, some English, U.S. History, Forensic Science, [and] Medicinal Chemistry,” Kaleb said.
“I like Medicinal Chemistry and Forensics because I don’t have these subjects in Germany, so they’re very unique and new to me,” Kaleb said. “I think it’s so much fun, considering that I want to be a doctor or a surgeon. I think those subjects gave me a lot of good knowledge.”
Beyond breakthrough courses in the Science Department, Kaleb feels his experience at Latin is very different from his school in Germany, Goldberg Gymnasium, with his experiences highlighting Latin’s benefits. “We don’t have that many teachers, not that many rooms, and I think here the teachers are more friendly than our teachers,” he said. “I like the cafeteria; it’s very good. That’s a big plus point for Latin.”
His Chicago experience extended beyond the classroom and the field, as junior Pilar Alexander and her family hosted Kaleb in their home. “My family has hosted many exchange students throughout my life,” Pilar said. “As a young child, I remember being fascinated by the high schoolers I met from other countries. This love for hosting is also why my family decided to welcome Kaleb. He speaks German, Spanish, and English, so it's been interesting to converse with him in several languages.”
Part of Kaleb’s language education came directly from his school’s extensive English language program, which has enabled many of their students to communicate with Latin students in past years. Goldberg Gymnasium has maintained a longstanding relationship with Latin through performing arts group exchange opportunities, and the Latin community is thrilled to open this connection to individual students.
Latin’s Director of Academic Initiatives Ingrid Dorer Fitzpatrick notes that Kaleb's school has been a partner school for a decade. “Two years ago, we began to experiment with bringing a student from a partner school to study at Latin for three to four weeks in the fall,” she said. “Kaleb's brother, Joshua Anchetta, was the first student to do that. These arrangements are not a formal part of our offerings, but unique individual opportunities to enhance our global awareness and connections.”
Kaleb felt immensely grateful for his unique exchange opportunity, saying, “Ms. Dorer made everything possible for me, in a very short time.”
On September 6, Kaleb returned to Germany, with much to look forward to during the school year and field hockey season. He headed home with a suitcase full of memories from his time as a Roman.
He said, “It’s something very special for me, to be three weeks away from my home, away from my family, and spend some time here, so I’m very grateful for the opportunity.”
