Representatives

Why were you interested in studying your NSLI-Y target language?  
Although I am half-Indian, coming from a solely English-speaking family I have felt dissociated from my Indian roots to some extent. After discovering NSLI-Y, I decided to self-study the official language of India (Hindi) through the 2019 Facebook NSLI-Y Alumni Language Challenge. In just one month, I ended up learning not only the Devanagari script and elementary vocabulary, but also about Indian culture. This success sparked a lifelong love for language learning.

What are your educational and/or professional goals?
Currently, I am taking a novice-level Arabic language university course in preparation for the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program. Upon graduation, I plan to apply to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer. Additionally, I am interested in a unique global health Master’s program where I will gain hands-on training and expertise in India.

How do you plan to use your target language and cultural skills in the future?
My goal is to eventually travel to India to meet my peer language partners, teachers, and host family that I connected with virtually through NSLI-Y. Through the NSLI-Y Alumni Travel Program, I hope to expand my language skills to be able to comfortably converse in Hindi and break the language barrier.

How did participation in NSLI-Y affect your life and future goals?
I had once considered becoming a medical doctor, but through participation in NSLI-Y I realized I wanted a more interdisciplinary career to utilize my language skills at a federal level. Although COVID-19 unfortunately prevented me from studying abroad, an upside was that it opened my eyes to the world of public health. I aspire to work as an epidemiologist for the World Health Organization where I could be on the frontline in helping to stop disease outbreaks in developing countries.

What skills did you gain during your NSLI-Y experience?  
Organization. Prior to the start of the program, I decided to purchase a journal embossed with gold elephants set against my favorite color teal which has made studying Hindi special. For quick access, the first page summarizes the Devanagari script with pronunciations. I also wrote down study activity suggestions including names of books, podcasts, journal prompts, and videos so when I want to study, I do not have to search for materials covering the key aspects of language learning: reading, listening, writing, and speaking. This technique makes me confident that I will continue to study my target language and eventually reach fluency.

What did you learn about your host country or culture that you didn’t know before your NSLI-Y experience?
I learned how vibrant India is in terms of the myriad of festivals that are celebrated. In my cohort we each presented in Hindi information on festivals based on what we learned from our language partners and doing so made me long for an in-person study abroad experience.

Please share a short highlight about your NSLI-Y experience. 
In the first NSLI-Y program I participated in, we collaborated to create a music video. Each of us participants learned and recorded ourselves either singing or playing the chords for the song, Socha Hai, on each of our unique instruments, and then sent the recording to our amazing TA from iEARN India to edit together. On our culmination day, we watched the final product of the music video, making this program, although virtual, unexpectedly memorable.

What is your favorite target language word or phrase, and what does it mean in English?
The word, rim jhim (रिम झिम), means drizzle. I like this word because the way it rhymes reminds me of the beautiful pitter-patter rhythm of falling rain.

How did you learn about NSLI-Y?
My French professor and mentor in high-school recommended that I apply to the program when I became her teaching assistant in Fall 2021.

Why were you interested in studying your NSLI-Y target language?
Since the beginning of high-school, I have had a fairly amateur (now scholarly) interest in religion, especially in South Asia, so I thought studying Hindi would be a good window into the extremely religiously diverse Indian subcontinent.

What are your educational and/or professional goals?
I am completing a dual-degree program at UNC Chapel Hill, getting a B.A. in Linguistics and South Asian Studies before my M.A. in Linguistics. I am also completing a minor in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. I am hoping this will be a good preparation for future careers in Foreign Service and International Affairs and be a starting point for future schooling if I decide to further my education.

How do you plan to use your target language and cultural skills in the future?
As I am interested in the Foreign Service (and working in another culture in general), I expect my knowledge of Hindi and Indian culture will allow me to fully immerse myself in another country not only in my work life but also in my personal life, making me a more effective diplomat and a more aware person in general.

How did participation in NSLI-Y affect your life and future goals?
I never expected to be pursuing Asian Studies, or humanities at all, until I started my NSLI-Y experience. Taking part in the Hindi program was also an extreme catalyst for me, as there is a large population of Indians and Indian-Americans (and other South Asians) where I attend University; I have made an entire network of friends and taken part in a variety of activities I might not have otherwise. My NSLI-Y program has even encouraged me to pursue some of my “background hobbies” to a fuller extent, including using my interest in Indian dance like Bhangra to get into dancing in general.

What skills did you gain during your NSLI-Y experience?
While I gained plenty of language skills and other skills related to navigating life in Delhi, what surprised me the most was how much I opened up emotionally over the six weeks I spent in India. Having a host family that cared for me so much and took me in as a member of their family gave me a new perspective on familial relationships and relationships in general that I think was lacking from my life. I also learned how to value other people’s experiences more.  I found myself maturing under the pressure of navigating a variety of unfamiliar interactions with many new kinds of people.

What was your favorite part about studying in your host country?
The homestay with a host family and ability to go to school with peers my age from the host culture; I experienced daily life, religion, school humor and games, basically everything you could want from life in your own country in a new way.

What did you learn about your host country or culture that you didn’t know before your NSLI-Y experience?
What stands out the most is how alike India is to “the West”, despite being completely different in many ways; although this is certainly a comparison which holds more true for the middle classes more than the upper or lower.

Please share a short highlight about your NSLI-Y experience.
One thing I was known for on our program was my frisbees. I had an intense desire to connect with local students and so I started playing games in the schoolyard with them and decided that I wanted to introduce them to something new. I remembered IM Ultimate Frisbee being fun in high school, so I picked up two frisbees and started bringing them to school. It was popular for everyone and helped me make a lot of friends. At the end of the year, I kept one of the frisbees with signatures from all the students I played with and gave the other to one of my closest friends signed with my appreciation. I like to keep my frisbee above my desk in college and look at it from time to time when I’m missing everyone.

What is your favorite target language word or phrase, and what does it mean in English?
Paagal ho gya ho kya?” which means, “Have you gone mad?/Are you a madman?” It’s a really common phrase in everyday conversation and in Bollywood films which usually gets a chuckle out of everyone.

Why were you interested in studying your NSLI-Y target language?
I’ve long held an interest in the geopolitical, cultural, and historical affairs of the Greater Middle East. Over the past few years, I’ve found more opportunities to pursue this interest through academics, extracurriculars, and even recreation. My passion for the Greater Middle East has played a major role in determining my professional aspirations. I had recently decided to extend my study into the linguistic realm, and since I was already taking Arabic at my high school, I felt that Tajiki would be the perfect NSLI-Y language for me! Studying Tajiki felt like the perfect way to turn my fascination with Persian history into a practical, marketable skill.

What are your educational and/or professional goals?
I hope to study Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations as well as International Affairs in college before beginning a career in the international non-profit sector.

How do you plan to use your target language and cultural skills in the future?
Since Tajiki is mutually intelligible with other Persian dialects like Farsi and Dari, it’s a helpful language for working in non-profits, diplomacy, and other regional services. My cultural skills will make me a more globally aware citizen when I study and work abroad in the future, regardless of where I end up!

How did participation in NSLI-Y affect your life and future goals?
Participating in NSLI-Y has both allowed me to develop valuable, practical skills and positively influenced the scope of my aspirations. My experience in NSLI-Y opened my eyes to the breadth of rich cultural diversity present in our world and taught me how to navigate any such divides. It expanded my interest in foreign relations while simultaneously giving my passions a distinctly personal touch. I now intend to pursue a career that will allow me to connect to people of all different cultures and backgrounds, through language, collaboration, and shared experience.

What skills did you gain during your NSLI-Y experience?
NSLI-Y not only helped me to refine my Tajiki and improved my ability to make intercultural connections, it also helped me with time management and independence. The consistent pace of language classes and other meetings kept me busy without being overwhelming and allowed me to develop an ethic of persistent, utilitarian productivity. The burden of directing this productivity was squarely on me—although I was never without support systems—and I became more independent and self-disciplined over the course of the program.

I also did pretty well in our dance class!

What was your favorite part about studying in your host country?
I loved exploring Dushanbe with my host family. Whether we were going to a local bazaar or visiting the botanical gardens, I had a wonderful time discovering a city that was so different in some regards and so similar in others. These outings were a great way to bond with my host family and learn more about my host culture as a whole.

What did you learn about your host country or culture that you didn’t know before your NSLI-Y experience?
I learned a lot about the significance of dance to Tajik culture, as well as the intense variation of dances in different regions of Tajikistan. For example, while Kulobi dances often consist of the energetic, circular movement of hands covered in long sleeves, Pashmiri dances are generally slower and performed in shorter sleeves.

What is your favorite target language word or phrase, and what does it mean in English?
My favorite Tajiki phrase is кидар гӯшаи ҳаёлат набуд meaning ‘not in the corner of your imagination’. It’s meant to describe things that you would never have imagined happening before you witnessed them yourself. Having an open imagination and being able to integrate new cultural norms into your behavior were vital skills for my completion of NSLI-Y.

Why were you interested in studying your NSLI-Y target language?
I chose to study Russian largely because of my passion for ballet. Ballet is heavily interconnected with Russian culture, so I was already frequently exposed to the Russian language and aspects of Russian culture. Since I already had some exposure, I decided that I wanted to learn more about the Russian language and the culture of Russian-speaking regions. As I began to research the region, I became interested in the multitude of Russian-speaking cultures outside of Russia that I had little previous knowledge of. I especially wanted to learn about aspects of the Russian-speaking world that are less recognized and studied.

What are your educational and/or professional goals?
I plan to study sociology and linguistics with a focus on the Russian language and culture in college. During college, I hope to participate in more intensive language learning programs such as the Critical Language Scholarship to continue my study of Russian. In terms of my career, I hope to work overseas with the U.S. Department of State as a Foreign Service Officer.

How do you plan to use your target language and cultural skills in the future?
I plan to use my Russian language and cultural skills as the foundation of my continued study of the Russian-speaking world during college. I also hope to apply these skills in a future career as a Foreign Service Officer, ideally stationed in a Russian-speaking country.

How did participation in NSLI-Y affect your life and future goals?
My NSLI-Y program experience solidified my passion for language learning and travel and inspired me to continue pursuing the Russian language to fluency. My experience in Kyrgyzstan also sparked my interest in the cultures of Russian-speaking regions outside of Russia.

What skills did you gain during your NSLI-Y experience?
Aside from greatly improving my language skills, I gained useful experience navigating a foreign country relatively independently. As I think about moving away for college, I now have skills to navigate a new city and public transportation system and being able to spend longer periods of time away from my family. Additionally, as someone who hopes to travel more in the future, this experience reinforced good habits for traveling that will be useful to me in the future.

What was your favorite part about studying in your host country?
My favorite part about studying in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan was the public transportation system. As someone who lives in an area with neither a robust nor convenient public transportation system, I was amazed by the fact that I could go anywhere in the city at any time of day without having to use a car. Personally, I found navigating the intricate network of trolleybuses and marshrutkas (small public transportation vans) to be a unique challenge that allowed me to immerse myself in ordinary aspects of the local culture and practice my language skills. I felt that taking public transportation was one of the simplest yet most effective ways to experience the city like a local would.

What did you learn about your host country or culture that you didn’t know before your NSLI-Y experience?
Going into my NSLI-Y program I, like many Americans, had little knowledge of Kyrgyzstan. I had heard of it, but I wasn’t familiar with its culture, history, or geography. Almost everything that I saw or heard after arriving was new or unexpected. One of the first things that I realized was that tea is a very popular drink in Kyrgyzstan. Even though it was frequently over 100 degrees outside, my host family gave me several cups of hot tea every day. One interesting custom relating to tea in Kyrgyz culture was that the more you respect someone, the less tea you will pour for the person. This is because by pouring less tea, you are showing that you are willing to get up often to refill their cup.

What is your favorite target language word or phrase, and what does it mean in English?
My favorite phrase in Russian is “осторожно” (a-sta-rOzh-na), which means “carefully” or “be careful”. I like this word because my language partner used it frequently, so it reminds me of the time we spent together in Bishkek. My language partner would most often use this word to tell me to watch out for other people when we were navigating the crowds at different bazaars or riding packed marshrutkas together. I think it’s a nice reminder of our time together and how she was always looking out for me.

Share a short highlight about your NSLI-Y experience.
One of my favorite moments from my NSLI-Y program was our weekend trip to Issyk-Kul Lake and the surrounding mountains and towns. This trip was one of the two times when I got to experience Kyrgyzstan outside of Bishkek, the capital city. My favorite part of the trip was staying in a yurt camp and sleeping in a yurt. Yurts are an integral part of Kyrgyz culture; the design of the Kyrgyz flag was even inspired by the structure of a yurt. Staying in a yurt was such a unique experience that exposed me to an important part of Kyrgyz history and culture. My time at the yurt camp also gave me a chance to experience Kyrgyzstan’s breathtaking mountains and Issyk-Kul Lake.

What are your educational and/or professional goals?
I plan to major in Government at Harvard while also exploring fields like East Asian Studies, Economics, and Comparative Literature. I’d like to pursue a diplomatic and/or legislative career through which I can serve others and cultivate intercultural understanding, educational opportunity, and youth civic engagement across the globe.

How do you plan to use your target language and cultural skills in the future?
As a prospective Government major focused on international relations and East Asia, I look forward to taking Korean language, culture, history, and politics courses throughout college. I also plan to intern and/or study abroad in South Korea. Ultimately, I hope to pursue a diplomatic career in which I use my linguistic and cultural skills to bridge international divides and drive cross-cultural collaboration on key policy issues.

How did participation in NSLI-Y affect your life and future goals?
Before NSLI-Y, I’d never even talked to another person in Korean. By the time I returned home, I’d had dozens of illuminating, hours-long Korean conversations with my host family. The continuous growth in my language abilities, passion for Korean, and self-actualization throughout NSLI-Y all reaffirmed to me that I wanted to spend my academic and professional career engaging with international relations and cultures.

What was your favorite part about studying in your host country?
My host family was my favorite part about studying abroad. From our hours-long conversations during nighttime walks along the Han River, to the incredible dinners my host mom prepared every evening, to the children’s books I read with my host brother, my host family brought me immense joy and comfort. The greatest, most transformative leaps I made in both my language abilities and my understanding of the world all stemmed from experiences with my host family. I’m endlessly grateful and fortunate to have lived with such amazing, welcoming people.

What skills did you gain during your NSLI-Y experience?  
In addition to Korean language skills and cultural knowledge, I learned how to be confident in my speaking and self-presentation, how to best manage my time independently, and how to navigate public transportation, amongst many other skills!

What did you learn about your host country or culture that you didn’t know before your NSLI-Y experience?
I hadn’t realized how thoroughly integrated environmentalism was into Korean daily life until I lived in Seoul. Navigating the specific recycling rules and dearth of public trash cans (a system set in place to encourage people to stay financially accountable for the waste they produce), as well as having discussions with my host family about Korean views on the environment, were eye-opening experiences for me.

Please share a short highlight about your NSLI-Y experience. 
For our program closing ceremony, I wrote and delivered a speech in Korean to all our NSLI-Y supporters, teachers, and cohort members. As short and simple as my speech may have been, it was incredibly fulfilling to realize how much my language abilities had grown: I’d gone from introducing myself to my host family as “17 days old” to being selected by my teacher to create an original, reflective speech for all the amazing people who shaped my NSLI-Y experience.

What is your favorite target language word or phrase, and what does it mean in English?
추억 translates to “memory” in English, but it has a positive nuance that I find quite poetic, especially considering how differently we carry happy versus negative memories.

Share one interesting factoid about yourself, your personal background, or your language learning.
My Duolingo streak is over 1,100 days long!

How did you learn about NSLI-Y?
I learned about NSLI-Y at a National Honor Society leadership conference.  A State Department official and an Alumni Representative gave a presentation on the program.

Why were you interested in studying your NSLI-Y target language?
I became really interested in Korean history: effects of Japanese imperial rule and student protests. This naturally led me to learn more about the language and I became interested in the alphabet. That interest grew and led me to want to learn even more about the language itself.

What are your educational and/or professional goals?
I am interested in working in translation as well as the Foreign Service.

How did participation in NSLI-Y affect your life and future goals?
Participating in NSLI-Y broadened my perspective and made me realize the many opportunities there are to use language in a future career. Furthermore, through NSLI-Y I learned about careers in the Foreign Service and talking to Foreign Service Officers abroad inspired my interest in a similar career.

What skills did you gain during your NSLI-Y experience?
NSLI-Y gave me the confidence to continue speaking, even when I make mistakes. My experience taught me how to study more effectively, navigate new places, and be more independent. I also learned how to ask for help and build relationships across barriers of language or background.

What was your favorite part about studying in your host country?
My favorite part about studying in my host country was being able to directly apply everything I was learning in the classroom in the world around me. This made learning take on a whole new meaning and further motivated me to study and push myself language-wise.

Please share a short highlight about your NSLI-Y experience.
One of my favorite memories is of my host mom taking me to eat sannakji (live octopus) as a celebration of my SAT results. Afterwards we walked up by the old city wall and down to the Seoul National University Med School. The view on the walk was gorgeous and I really got to connect with my host mom that night.

What is your favorite target language word or phrase, and what does it mean in English?
One of my favorite phrases is “라떼는 말이야” (la ddae-neun mal-ee-ya) which means “latte is horse” and is used to refer to older generations who constantly talk about their youth as a way to judge or discredit younger generations. It is a play on the phrase “나 때는 말이야” (na ddae-neun mal-ee-ya), meaning “back in my day” or “when I was young”.

Share one interesting factoid about yourself, your personal background, or your language learning.
I participated in Virtual NSLI-Y and this experience is what led me to do the abroad program!

How did you learn about NSLI-Y?
I learned about NSLI-Y when I came across a feature in my local newspaper about a student who traveled to Morocco through the program.

Why were you interested in studying your NSLI-Y target language?
I volunteer with a predominantly Arabic-speaking refugee population as a tutor, teaching English and STEM skills to the recent emigre students in my community. I wanted to learn Arabic as it would allow me to better connect and communicate with my students. I also became intrigued by Arabic art, food, music, and history as I bonded with the students I tutored. I wanted to acquire the ability to speak Arabic and understand the culture because I consider that to be the first step toward understanding a different perspective in fostering a lasting collaborative relationship.

What are your educational and/or professional goals?
My interest lies in the intersection of STEM and linguistics. I hope to pursue my passion for biological sciences, technology, and language learning in college. While I am still exploring career options, I have a profound interest in using the latest technology like artificial intelligence to solve societal problems.

How do you plan to use your target language and cultural skills in the future?
My emerging ability to connect language, literacy, and culture gives me a richer picture of learning as well as teaching. In addition to using my newfound Arabic language and cultural skills with my current volunteer work with the refugee population in the U.S., I plan to use the global perspective and cross-cultural appreciation I’ve gained through NSLI-Y in my future travels and a possible career as a medical doctor.

How did participation in NSLI-Y affect your life and future goals?
Participating in NSLI-Y has opened my eyes to the interconnectedness of the world. Language and culture are two sides of the same coin. You cannot have one without the other. This understanding has inspired introspection into how various cultures are interconnected. It has ignited a fresh desire in me to engage with people from different cultures and connect with them on a personal level, thus fueling a lifetime interest in foreign languages and cultures.

What did you learn about your host country or culture that you didn’t know before your NSLI-Y experience?
I was surprised to find that Morocco’s culture is a mix of religious and ethnic traditions, including Berber, Arab, African, Mediterranean, and Jewish influences.

Please share a short highlight about your NSLI-Y experience.
I greatly enjoyed learning about Arabic culture and language through the arts, especially through calligraphy. Art reflects culture and culture is influenced by religion. Highly valued and basic part of Islamic art is calligraphy. Arabic calligraphy (beautiful writing), embodies Islamic culture. By blending the art of beautiful writing and religious beliefs in the writing of Quran text, art is elevated to a new, spiritual level. Participating in a calligraphy class was an amazing experience because it allowed me to understand and appreciate the spiritual side of the Arabic language in a way I had never encountered before. This is one of the cherished memories that I carry from my NSLI-Y experience.

What is your favorite target language word or phrase, and what does it mean in English?
My favorite Arabic phrase is انطلق!, pronounced inṭaliq!, it means “Go for it!”. I heard this word repeated numerous times during the program as my teacher gently encouraged us to get past our hesitation in using our newly acquired linguistic skills. This is a mantra I’ve since adopted to motivate myself in my day-to-day life since the program ended!

Share one interesting factoid about yourself, your personal background, or your language learning.
I am a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) advocate. I work with the neurodivergent population (mostly with Autism Spectrum Disorder) to teach language acquisition skills and social skills through play therapy.

How did you learn about NSLI-Y?
In my junior year of high school, I watched a YouTube video of an NSLI-Y alumna. She mentioned having the opportunity to study abroad in Taiwan on a NSLI-Y scholarship, and I was curious to learn more about the program.

Why were you interested in studying your NSLI-Y target language?
Being Chinese American, I often found many similarities with my own language (Mandarin) and Korean, which made me curious in wanting to explore the greater East Asian background and potentially build solidarity within my ethnic community. Korean was the perfect “next step” in learning a language that was challenging, yet fun for me to take on.

What are your educational and/or professional goals?
At USC, I am studying cybersecurity and international relations. I also declared a minor in Korean. My current educational goal is to be the first in my family to graduate with a bachelors from a four-year private university. Professionally, I hope to continue studying languages abroad with other State Department programs, pursue a master’s degree in international security, and perhaps one day become a Foreign Service Officer!

How do you plan to use your target language and cultural skills in the future?
As an undergraduate research fellow at the USC Korean Studies Institute, I apply my NSLI-Y knowledge and experiences from my time abroad in Korea. In the future, I plan to continue using my story to help other students with their study abroad plans, especially those who come from underrepresented backgrounds.

How did participation in NSLI-Y affect your life and future goals?
I don’t think I could imagine my high school career without NSLI-Y. Before, I intended on pursuing finance, then law school. Despite the challenges of COVID-19, being able to study abroad in Korea on a scholarship showed me that languages were not only valuable, but powerful. I realized there was a world of foreign exchange and international diplomacy that I still wanted to explore in college.

What skills did you gain during your NSLI-Y experience?
NSLI-Y taught me how to make significant progress in a language within a short amount of time. I gained important social skills when it came to communicating my needs to my host family, classmates, and to local Koreans. It also taught me accountability: for example, the consequences of arriving late!

What was your favorite part about studying in your host country?
Aside from the widely accessible public transit, rich cultural history, and great-tasting food, my favorite part about studying in Korea would have to be the exact time and location it happened. Although COVID-19 changed many aspects of our experience, it also helped our cohort bond more than I could have imagined. Staying in a quarantine hotel for 2 weeks, seeing the Demilitarized Zone, and getting interviewed on KTV news were all unique highlights of my journey.

What did you learn about your host country or culture that you didn’t know before your NSLI-Y experience?
I was surprised to see how geographically diverse Seoul was. There were neighborhood districts like the Hanok villages that replicated traditional Korean history of the royals, but just adjacent there would be modern shopping plazas and the timeless Han River. Outside of Seoul, there is also a variety of Korean dialects as well, which I found fascinating.

What is your favorite target language word or phrase, and what does it mean in English?
My favorite word in Korean is “새로운,” or “new.” I think it gives the idea of a fresh start a deeper meaning, much more than its English translation.

Why were you interested in studying your NSLI-Y target language?
As someone who hopes to pursue a career in cybersecurity or threat intelligence, considering the Korean Peninsula’s political significance and South Korea’s role as a growing leader in technology, I was motivated to understand the cultural and linguistic roots that fuel the country’s innovation.

What are your educational and/or professional goals?
I hope to pursue study in both STEM and the social sciences during college! I am particularly passionate about pursuing opportunities in the intersection between geopolitics and cybersecurity.

How do you plan to use your target language and cultural skills in the future?
Given that Dallas is home to Texas’ largest Korean American population, my Korean skills will be useful to get more involved in local cultural events. Due to the collaborative nature of cybersecurity projects, the ability to work with international teams and possessing strong multilingual abilities is important.

How did participation in NSLI-Y affect your life and future goals?
Apart from the very vague idea that I knew I wanted to pursue a career in technology, I did not have a specific career goal prior to NSLI-Y. The program showed me that Korean and multicultural understanding have an important role to play even in STEM. Because of NSLI-Y, I have made lifelong connections and learned valuable lessons that I will cherish forever.

What skills did you gain during your NSLI-Y experience?
The most obvious one is Korean! The progress I made linguistically is one that extends beyond my OPI score – from riddles to tongue twisters to colloquial phrases. Additionally, time management was important during the program. Since I lived so far away from the school, juggling excursions, sightseeing, homework, and classes was critical to ensuring my success and comfort.

What was your favorite part about studying in your host country?
The food! As a vegetarian, I was a bit skeptical about what my diet would look like but I found numerous adapted recipes, desserts, and baked goods that exceeded my expectations. Every day in Korea was an experience but visiting the DMZ, trying different vegan restaurants, conversing with locals, and late-night walks with my host family around the Ilsan Lake Park are particularly memorable.

What did you learn about your host country or culture that you didn’t know before your NSLI-Y experience?
While I expected Korea to be technologically advanced, it surprised me that almost every aspect of daily life was automated, from kiosks at restaurants to robots at the airport and coffee stores. Another thing that surprised me was how pedestrian-friendly and convenient the city was. 

What is your favorite target language word or phrase, and what does it mean in English?
따뜻하게 means ‘warmly’ – used to describe both people and food. Something about the way it’s pronounced (ttatteuttage) makes you feel warm and fuzzy too!

Share one interesting factoid about yourself, your personal background, or your language learning.
I have a YouTube channel featuring my time in Korea! Subscribe to @cheerssravs for updates on my work as a NSLI-Y Alumni Representative in the coming months.

How did you learn about NSLI-Y?
During the spring of 2021, I learned about NSLI-Y from a Korean program alumna who was in a first-generation student support group with me. She became my mentor, guiding me through the application process.

Why were you interested in studying your NSLI-Y target language?  
I come from a Vietnamese American family that immigrated to the United States after the Vietnam War. For most of my life, I grew up thinking that I only had Vietnamese roots; however, I discovered that my mother’s side also had Chinese ancestry. Ever since, I have been eager to explore the culture and language that has had a deep impact on the past generations of my family. In addition to my ancestry, I was fascinated by the script that Mandarin Chinese is written in. To this day, I am still amazed at how Chinese characters, as intimidating as they seem, can articulate complex, beautiful messages that contain the wisdom of thousands of years of Chinese history and civilization. These wonders motivated me to study Mandarin Chinese and endure all the challenges that accompany learning such a rich and rigorous language.

What are your educational and/or professional goals?
I currently intend to major in International Relations or a similar field such as International Development Studies. I also hope to minor in Chinese language studies. By developing expertise in international relations and Mandarin Chinese, I hope to pursue a career in the U.S. Foreign Service to contribute to solving issues that face East and Southeast Asia. I am also considering the possibility of serving as a volunteer for the Peace Corps.

How do you plan to use your target language and cultural skills in the future?
Currently, I am taking Mandarin Chinese classes via concurrent enrollment at my local community college to supplement my high school education. By continuing to develop linguistic and cultural knowledge, I hope to apply my skills to a career in promoting peace and mutual understanding between the United States and the People’s Republic of China. I also hope to use my target language and cultural skills to further immerse myself in Chinese culture by visiting my NSLI-Y peer tutors and teachers in Chengdu, learning about ethnic diversity across China, and exploring the influence of Confucian customs by traveling throughout East and Southeast Asia.

How did participation in NSLI-Y affect your life and future goals?
My participation in NSLI-Y accelerated my progress in learning Mandarin Chinese, inspiring me to continue studying Mandarin to an advanced level. My NSLI-Y experience also helped me develop a keen interest in East and Southeast Asian affairs, which I hope to gain more insight into at university.

What skills did you gain during your NSLI-Y experience?  
My NSLI-Y experience had an incredible emphasis on spoken Chinese; in just one month, my pronunciation and speaking speed improved significantly. As a result, I became a much more confident speaker in Chinese. At the same time, I also gained personal confidence because NSLI-Y challenged me with an intensive, rigorous curriculum that caused me to struggle multiple times during the program. I walked away with an even greater sense of resilience and a desire to be challenged — qualities that will allow me to grow even more as I encounter new opportunities throughout my life.

What was your favorite part about studying in your host country?
Although the NSLI-Y program was virtual due to COVID-related lockdowns, a computer screen did not stop me from being immersed in the Chinese language and culture. My Chinese teachers were brilliant, amazing educators who created a rigorous yet exciting language learning experience. In addition, I loved that my three peer tutors were always excited to share details about their culture and way of life with me. Whether my tutors were playing the 古筝 (guzheng) instrument for me or showing me adorable Chengdu panda plushies, they made an unforgettable effort to immerse me into their society.

What did you learn about your host country or culture that you didn’t know before your NSLI-Y experience?
During my NSLI-Y experience, I learned about technology and culture in the city of Chengdu. I was fascinated to learn that Chengdu was the home to one of China’s most precious animals — the panda! I also learned about Chengdu’s remarkable transformation into a modern metropolis and the food capital of China — I probably would have never known this if I did not participate in NSLI-Y’s amazing cultural immersion classes.

Please share a short highlight about your NSLI-Y experience.
During Virtual Summer Intensive, a Chinese teacher taught us about Chinese poetry and invited several primary school students to help us correct our pronunciation while reciting the poems. The poems were highly symbolic because they conveyed wise morals and taught us about the history of ancient China. While being corrected by primary school students felt humbling at first, the experience was very memorable because my cohort and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of learning more about pronunciation and Chinese culture from young students who were very enthusiastic to help us succeed.

What is your favorite target language word or phrase, and what does it mean in English?
One of my favorite Mandarin Chinese phrases is “明日复明日，明日何其多”(Míngrì fù míngrì, míngrì héqí duō). This is a Chinese proverb that emphasizes how continuing to delay an action until “tomorrow” will yield no benefit in the end. This proverb encourages me to cherish my time and act in the present day in order to change my future.

Why were you interested in studying your NSLI-Y target language?
When I took World History my sophomore year, my teacher briefly touched upon the Turks. Since I had never heard of the Turks, I wanted to learn more about this ethnic group – its people, government, currency, food. I started by learning their language – Turkish. I was also fascinated that Turkish had an alphabet containing letters with a diacritic.

What are your educational and/or professional goals?
I will pursue a double major in business/economics and international relations in college. My passion for these two areas was partly inspired from my experience studying abroad in Turkiye.

How do you plan to use your target language and cultural skills in the future?
Using my knowledge of Turkish, I would like to work with policy think tanks in the Middle East to conduct research on geographical areas suffering from economic turmoil, such as Turkiye. I would also like to start my own, or work with existing summer camps, to teach critical languages to younger students.

How did participation in NSLI-Y affect your life and future goals?
I would like to continue my language learning through Boren, CLS, or other language scholarships. My ability to speak four different languages (English, French, Mandarin, and Turkish) made me realize my potential for an international career.

What skills did you gain during your NSLI-Y experience?
Not only did I gain proficiency in a new language, but I also became more confident in my ability to make friends with people who looked, talked, and acted differently from me. While my two host sisters could speak basic English, my host parents could not. As we helped ourselves to heaping servings of roasted chicken, lentil soup, and village bread at the dinner table, we shared our enthusiasm for common interests such as TV shows and tea. Through our frequent conversations, we became more fluent in our respective languages: Turkish and English.

What was your favorite part about studying in your host country?
I really love Turkish food. Every morning, my host mom would lay out an assortment of ekmek (bread), peynir (cheese), fruit jams, black and green olives, and fresh vegetables from her village garden. For dinner, we would often have homemade soup, roasted chicken, börek (layers of cheese puff pastry), and lots of yogurt. At my university, my teacher once brought us süt baklava, a pastry made up of layers of milk and cream. When I departed from Turkiye, my host mom gave me her homemade salça (tomato jam) and quince jam.

Please share a short highlight about your NSLI-Y experience.
On my second day in Turkiye, my older host sister invited me to her three-day wedding at their familial village in northern Turkiye. When I arrived in the village, I was immediately greeted by numerous relatives, and I befriended my host siblings’ cousins, who treated me with kindness, despite the difficult language barrier. My Turkish host relatives included me in the traditional village ceremonies and dances, which was really fun.

What is your favorite target language word or phrase, and what does it mean in English?
My favorite phrase is “çok güzel” which means “very good” or “very beautiful.” I used the phrase to describe basically everything I saw in Turkiye, including food, people, and mosques.

How did you learn about NSLI-Y?
I initially heard about NSLI-Y from a friend’s mom who knew I was interested in Russian and recommended I check out the program. A few months later, at a Russian language village camp, I saw a few flyers for NSLI-Y and gave applying a shot that fall. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made!

What are your educational and/or professional goals?
I’m thinking about majoring in Economics and/or International Relations with a minor in Russian. My dream job would probably have something to do with international business, but I’m also interested in going into academia.

How do you plan to use your target language and cultural skills in the future?
I hope to study and work abroad within Russian-speaking communities to continue building my language skills; but regardless of where my career and educational goals ultimately take me, I’ll make sure to keep practicing the Russian language whenever the opportunity arises!

How did participation in NSLI-Y affect your life and future goals?
Prior to spending the summer in Kazakhstan, I had always been interested in living and working abroad but didn’t have much hands-on experience with the concept. NSLI-Y was the first time I was able to enjoy fully immersing myself in a new language and culture for an extended time, and only confirmed my desires to become a citizen of the world. I’ve also met an incredible network of highly motivated and brilliant peers who have similarly shaped my goals for what I want to accomplish in life.

What skills did you gain during your NSLI-Y experience?  
More than anything else, I think that my time in Almaty taught me to become self-reliant, both as an independent person and a thinker. At the same time, however, I had a supportive network of friends, teachers, and my resident director to guide me along my journey. I think the NSLI-Y program strikes the right balance between self-discovery and support, and I made tremendous strides as both a learner and a person during the summer.

What was your favorite part about studying in your host country?
Honestly, probably the daily classes. I had a phenomenal teacher who truly cared about all her students, and she always made sure to check in and confirm that we understood all the course material. I also became close friends with my classmates and had a great time learning the language with them.

What did you learn about your host country or culture that you didn’t know before your NSLI-Y experience?
Something cool that I discovered while in Kazakhstan was the large influence of Turkic culture and language on daily life in the country. There were Turkish restaurants all around the city, the Kazakh and Turkish languages overlapped quite a bit, and I even got fooled by the classic Turkish ice cream man trick.

What is your favorite target language word or phrase, and what does it mean in English?
I found the Russian word “Хорошо,” literally translating to “ok,” “well,” or “good,” to be by far the most useful word while abroad. You can use it for anything—acknowledgements, rating food, responding to questions, anything of the like. It was a lifesaver during my time in Kazakhstan!

Share a short highlight about your NSLI-Y experience.
In Kazakhstan, like many other post-Soviet states, chess culture dominates the country. Knowing this, I came to Almaty looking forward to sharpening my chess skills. However, I wasn’t expecting my host dad to have played the game for decades, or my resident director to have translated Soviet chess literature from Russian to English! The competition in the country was super tough, and, to put it simply, I got crushed! Despite that, my skills grew by an enormous margin, and I enjoyed every move of every game.

Share one interesting factoid about yourself, your personal background, or your language learning.
I love learning languages! On top of Russian, I also study Swedish and Spanish on the side. My Duolingo streak is almost 1,500 days at this point.

Why were you interested in studying your NSLI-Y target language?  
I had known for a long time that I was interested in International Relations. As I began to explore the field more, I started to focus in on Eastern European affairs. Simultaneously, I started watching a few TV shows that were partially in Russian. As I picked up a few words here and there, I became really excited about the Russian language.

What are your educational and/or professional goals?
I am planning to major in International Relations and Slavic Studies. Professionally, I want to work as a Foreign Service Officer, employing my Russian language skills in both Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

How do you plan to use your target language and cultural skills in the future?
I plan to use both in my career in the Foreign Service. Strong language skills and cultural understanding are the basis for strong diplomacy, whether it is conducted on an individual or governmental level.

How did participation in NSLI-Y affect your life and future goals?
NSLI-Y was a life-changing experience for me. When I started learning Russian, I was constantly met with comments about the difficulty of the language and how hard it would be to learn. NSLI-Y showed me that fluency was more than achievable with enough determination. Professionally, meeting with Embassy staff in Bishkek further solidified my desire to work in the Foreign Service.

What skills did you gain during your NSLI-Y experience?  
Adaptability and perseverance were two big ones. Living in a completely new environment means adjusting to new routines and aspects of your surroundings. The adaptability that I gained from NSLI-Y has served me well in all aspects of my life. As for perseverance, learning any new language comes with challenges. Learning to work through those challenges is extremely important: it made me a better language learner and a better learner overall.

What was your favorite part about studying in your host country?
The people. Learning from and with them all was a transformative experience, and I left my host country with wonderful new connections. I still talk to both my host family and fellow cohort members on a regular basis.

What did you learn about your host country or culture that you didn’t know before your NSLI-Y experience?
I learned a lot about Central Asian cuisine from my NSLI-Y experience. While in Kyrgyzstan, I was introduced to манты, лагман, and борсок amongst many other excellent dishes. Манты are large dumplings, generally filled with lamb or beef. Лагман is a noodle dish made with meat and vegetables. Борсок is bread made from fried dough and cut into small squares. All three are amazing.

What is your favorite target language word or phrase, and what does it mean in English?
My favorite Russian phrase is “Не имей сто рублей, а имей сто друзей,” which means “don’t have a hundred rubles, but have a hundred friends.” I learned this proverb during NSLI-Y with my teacher. She repeated the saying frequently and took the time to discuss its importance with my class and me.

Share a short highlight about your NSLI-Y experience.
During one of our weekend trips, my cohort had the chance to hike to a waterfall in Национальный парк Ала-Арча (Ala-Archa National Park). The hike, despite being very difficult, was gorgeous, and I loved getting to experience some of the amazing nature in Kyrgyzstan. It was also a great chance for me to get to talk to my fellow cohort members.

How did you learn about NSLI-Y?
During the summer of my junior year, I was studying a lot at my local library. I was super into self-studying Korean. One day, I found a pamphlet at my library for NSLI-Y and applied on a whim.

What are your educational and/or professional goals?
My professional goals are to spread art throughout the world by the power of animation. I am currently enrolled in animation school and definitely want to continue in the professional world creating art for companies such as Marvel, Disney, or movies.

How do you plan to use your target language and cultural skills in the future?
With my studies being mainly in art, I hope to study animation over in Korea and even work on Kpop or Kdramas, editing them with animation. On a larger scale, I want to incorporate Korean culture even more into animation by being someone that can bring firsthand experience to the table when creating Korean animated characters/places.

How did participation in NSLI-Y affect your life and future goals?
Before I left for Korea, I was confused about my future and what it held. I wasn’t sure of what I wanted to do in life, or if animation was really what I was meant to do. Korea really helped me become sure of myself. I also met my best friend on NSLI-Y and she has also been a very positive influence in my life, and we are constantly pushing each other to apply for the next best opportunity.

What skills did you gain during your NSLI-Y experience?  
I learned how to become more independent and manage my time wisely. Time management was important because my school day was busy, so I learned how to manage my downtime to make the most of my time in Korea.

What was your favorite part about studying in your host country?
My favorite part about studying in Korea was the widespread attitude of respect towards others. Everyone was super kind and very patient with us as foreigners. They would always encourage us to try local dishes or speak Korean with them.

Please share a short highlight about your NSLI-Y experience. 
A highlight from my experience was when we went on a cultural trip to Namhae. My friends and I made such good memories swimming on the beach, eating steamed buns, and going to all different sites such as the Evergreen Park. It is one of my favorite memories from the trip.

Why were you interested in studying your NSLI-Y target language?
I’m a heritage speaker of Bosnian. I wanted to study Russian because I started noticing how similar it is to my native tongue, especially regarding grammar and pronunciation. Russian started becoming a language that felt familiar and comforting, and that made me feel like I had a head start on the language, despite not having studied it before.

What are your educational and/or professional goals?
I’m graduating from Portland State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Management and Leadership along with an Entrepreneurship certificate. I plan on completing my MBA or a Master’s in an area such as Brand and Fashion Management. I have several professional goals that include everything from working in upper management at an international fashion house to working as a resident director or program coordinator for a program such as NSLI-Y!

How did participation in NSLI-Y affect your life and future goals?
NSLI-Y changed my life for the better. Not only did NSLI-Y start me on my Russian journey, but the language acquisition helped lay the groundwork for me to be able to apply for CLS Russian. This past summer, I went abroad to Kyrgyzstan with CLS, and it was by far the most life-changing experience I’ve had. NSLI-Y has also opened so many doors for me and given me the opportunity to represent the Alumni Association and meet so many other alumni who have similar passions for language learning and cultural exchange.

What skills did you gain during your NSLI-Y experience?
My public speaking skills improved; I gained so much confidence by completing the final presentation in my target language. That experience showed me that if I could successfully present something in a foreign language to a large group of people, then I can confidently do a presentation in English in front of any number of people.

What was your favorite part about studying in your host country?
Although virtual due to the pandemic, my favorite part was meeting students from Russia. I loved getting to know students my age that were so different than me and talking to them about the fashion culture in Moscow.

What did you learn about your host country or culture that you didn’t know before your NSLI-Y experience?
One major thing I learned is that many Russians are not fans of shopping for second-hand clothing. Thrifting is not seen in a very positive light. This was surprising for me to hear as someone who comes from a city where shopping for second-hand clothing is highly encouraged and appreciated.

What is your favorite target language word or phrase, and what does it mean in English?
“Любовь – это, милая моя, взаимное головокружение.” This is a quote from a Soviet film called “The Cranes are Flying”. This quote roughly translates to “Love is, my dear, is mutual vertigo.”