WEST LIBERTY, Iowa–Since last summer, West Liberty High School senior Amerie Alvarado knew she wanted to study abroad to learn another language. As she explored the different summer study aboard programs available, she discovered the National Security Language Initiative for Youth and found it suited her interests well. Intrigued, Amerie applied. Recently, she learned of her acceptance to study Arabic in Rabat, Morocco for seven weeks this summer.
Bilingual in English and Spanish, Amerie wanted to study Arabic because of its relationship with Spanish. “I selected Arabic because of the linguistic similarities that it has with Spanish,” she explained. “I speak Spanish, and that really got me interested in exploring those similarities.”
Once students pick a language to study, the National Security Language Initiative for Youth selects a country for them to study in. For students studying Arabic, this could lead to them staying in Egypt, Morocco, or Jordan. Upon her acceptance into the program, Amerie found that she will get to go to Rabat, Morocco, which she very much looks forward to: “I am most excited about getting to know the people of Morocco and learning about their perspectives and opinions. I look forward to learning the language and culture from the locals and my teachers,” she said.
Amerie Alvarado, a junior at West Liberty High School, will study abroad in Rabat, Morocco this summer through the National Security Language Institute for Youth. Photo Cortesy Amerie Alvarado.
For seven weeks, Amerie will both live and take classes in Rabat. She knows that learning a completely new language in a new country can seem intimidating. “I think the most challenging part of the program for me will be outside of the classroom trying to practice my Arabic and navigating when I am on my own, especially in the beginning of the summer, since I have no previous background with Arabic,” she observed.
Even so, she knows she has the determination and curiosity to succeed in the program. “I’m confident I will figure it out, but I think that will be my biggest obstacle,” she said.
Deeply interested in learning about different countries and fostering positive international relations, Amerie hopes to continue studying languages and cultures in college as either a global studies or international relations major. Following college, she would like a career as a diplomat, working as a foreign service officer for the United States. She believes her experiences studying abroad this summer will help prepare her for both of these goals. She shared: “I think this is a great opportunity for me to develop my adaptation and cultural skills that I will be able to implement in the future, especially in Arabic speaking nations of course. I’ll probably study abroad again in college too, so this program will help me succeed academically too.”
