NSLI-Y alumna, Elise Harwell, was recently selected as the International Exchange Alumni of the Month for January 2017. Elise participated in the 2015 Arabic summer program in Rabat, Morocco. Inspired by her NSLI-Y experience, Elise founded and serves as the president of the Arabic Culture club at her high school, where she shares Arabic language and culture with her classmates. Below is an excerpt from the article published on the International Exchange Alumni website. The full article can be read here.
Elise is an active member of the exchange alumni community. She is a second year Alumni Representative for the NSLI-Y Alumni Association. In this capacity, she works with fellow alumni to hold events related to professional development, continued language and cultural learning, as well as program outreach. Some of her achievements include organizing a career-focused networking dinner with the local Diplomat in Residence and a presentation on conflict resolution with Hrair Balian of the Carter Center. Elise also recently presented on her exchange experience at the Department of State. Our team had the chance to hear her story, and we were inspired by her confidence and eloquence.
Elise also won second place for the Photo and Caption Challenge, as part of the U.S. Exchange Alumni Citizen Diplomacy Challenge! Other NSLI-Y winners include Pa Chia Thao (China 2013), who won a grand prize for the Photo and Caption Challenge, and Cara Price (Moldova 2016), who won a grand prize for the Share Your Story Challenge. Read about the other U.S. Exchange Alumni Citizen Diplomacy Challenge 2016 winners here.