U.S. Department of State
Arabic
Bridging Cultures and Careers: Gaby Gerecht’s Journey from NSLI-Y to Global Cybersecurity Diplomacy
Gaby was always interested in living and studying abroad, eager to seek out opportunities to broaden her worldview. She chose to study Arabic in high school, curious to try a non-Romance language, and her Arabic teacher recommended NSLI-Y. After NSLI-Y, Gaby attended McGill University to study International Development and Arabic. Read More
Korean
Alabama & Abroad: Nadia Harden’s Journey to Citizen Diplomacy
Nadia began self-studying Korean in 2018 and became interested in its history and culture. She also began to learn more about careers in diplomacy, and realized that she wanted to take her language learning seriously and needed to immerse herself in the language and culture. Even with several years of self-study,… Read More
Russian
Alumni Spotlight: Kathleen Rouse
As the daughter of a U.S. naval aviator and Cold War veteran, Kathleen grew up with countless stories surrounding U.S.-Russian relations. While following her passion for diplomacy and national security, Kathleen’s pursuit led her to NSLI-Y. The opportunity to communicate effectively with Russian-speaking countries through intensive language immersion was a… Read More
2025 NSLI-Y Alumni Representative Workshop Reflections
Ava is an alumna of the 2024 Arabic Summer program in Amman, Jordan. She currently serves as a NSLI-Y Alumni Representative for Virtual Engagement and is from Kansas City. My experience studying Arabic in Amman, Jordan during the Summer of 2024 was incredibly enriching, both culturally and linguistically, inspiring me… Read More
Arabic
My Visit to My Host Family
After eight years, I knocked on my NSLI-Y host family’s apartment door in Amman. I have studied in Amman three times. The first time was during NSLI-Y in 2016. The second time was during study abroad in college. As for the third time, it was nearly eight years after NSLI-Y,… Read More
Russian
Alumni Spotlight: Eloise Herdegen
When I applied to NSLI-Y Russian in the fall of my senior year, I didn’t know how much my experience would change the next year and a half of my life. My summer in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan was an amazing experience, and the lessons I learned and the connections I made… Read More
