Testimonials of National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) Summer Program Participant
About NSLI-Y: The National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) program was launched in 2006 to promote critical language learning among American youth. The U.S. Department of State, in cooperation with American Councils for International Education, awards and administers merit-based scholarships to high school students for participation in summer and academic year immersion programs in locations where the eight NSLI-Y languages are spoken. NSLI-Y immerses participants in the cultural life of the host country, giving them formal and informal language practice and sparking a lifetime interest in foreign languages and cultures. NSLI-Y program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.
By Carrey Hickman
“Coming into the exchange I was a person, very rigid when it comes to plans and such. I did not have the ability to go with the flow and not be well informed of plans and times. I also was not ready to understand the differences that existed in people around me. From the very first moment arriving in India, I was forced to drop this and adjust very quickly to a new way of understanding. I was never involved into plan making and almost never informed of what or when we were doing things. I had to deal with the Indian Standard Time which was different. I also had to get used to just having to accept differences in my host family because I did not want to seem rude. The shock of being left out of plans and having so many issues that I just had to accept and take for granted taught me to become a more patient person who can more effectively deal with his problems and be more chill in my plans and mindset.”