Vedika Chamaria gets State Department scholarship to study Korean
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Arun Kumar- 0
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Indian American student one of 440 students chosen for program to provide young Americans critical language skills
By Arun Kumar
Vedika Chamaria, an Indian American high school student from McKinney, Texas, has been selected for the U.S. Department of State’s National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) program.
One of 440 students chosen from thousands of applicants across the country to receive the competitive scholarship, she will study Korean this summer in South Korea.
While in South Korea, Chamaria will live with a host family, immerse in the local culture and host community, and engage with local peers to enhance language learning, and represent American culture as a citizen ambassador.
Launched in 2006 as part of a multi-agency U.S. Government initiative, NSLI-Y aims increase the number of young Americans with the language skills necessary to advance international dialogue, promote economic prosperity and innovation, and contribute to U.S. national security and global stability by building understanding across cultures.
Other goals include improving Americans’ ability to engage with the people of Arabic, Chinese, Indonesian, Korean, Persian, Russian, and Turkish-speaking locations through shared language.
It also aims to provide a tangible incentive for the learning and use of foreign language by creating overseas language study opportunities for U.S. high school students and spark a lifetime interest in critical foreign languages and cultures among American youth.
Many NSLI-Y alumni go on to pursue education and careers vital to U.S. national security and credit the program experience with helping them improve their cross-cultural communication and leadership skills.
NSLI-Y is administered by American Councils for International Education in cooperation with AFS-USA, American Cultural Exchange Service, Amideast, iEARN-USA, Stony Brook University, and the University of Delaware.
Applications for NSLI-Y programs are available at www.nsliforyouth.org each fall. For The U.S. Department of State provides additional study abroad opportunities for both American and international high school students.
Americans can welcome a new language and culture into their home by hosting an international exchange student, which is a life-changing experience for students, host families, schools, and communities.