I'm in the National Security Language Initiative for Youth US State Department Scholarship program to study Chinese through the Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
I will be in this program for the Academic Year of 2021 ~ 2022. But, due to pandemic circumstances, I had been part-taking in the program virtually for the first semester. I am currently under the first week of quarantine in Taiwan, also taking virtual classes through Wenzao.
Why I applied :
(*DISCLAIMER* this does not reflect everyone else's reasoning for why they applied to the program, this is just my individual explanation)
I lived in China for two years (2014 ~ 2016). I started learning Chinese in China, and after repatriating, I was still committed to learning the language and culture.
In the US, I kept on learning Chinese through self-study, testing out of the Chinese curriculum at my school, participating in the Michigan State University Confucius Institute, and taking part in the Hanban Midwest Region Chinese Speech Competitions. All were great achievements, but I wanted to become more fluent.
Participating in the NSLI-Y Academic Year program gives me the opportunity to:
1. Develop fluency in Mandarin (Chinese)
2. Increase my global mindset and cross-cultural awareness
3. Develop an ability to be comfortable with being uncomfortable
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