On Wednesday, November 14, at 9:00 am EST, NSLI-Y students from the Korea and Taiwan Academic Year programs together presented on the theme of Citizen Ambassadorship. The presenters shared about why citizen ambassadorship is important and what it means to them. This event was part of International Education Week:
International Education Week (IEW), November 12-16, 2018 is an opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. This joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education is part of our efforts to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences.If you were not able to attend the live event, we encourage you to watch the recording! Feel free to share with anyone who may be interested. Please press CC on YouTube for subtitles.
Introducing the speakers for the event:
Emma, Korean
Hi Everyone! 안녕하세요 여러분!~ My name is Emma and I am from the Chicago Suburbs. I am an alumna of the NSLI-Y Korea (Seoul) Summer 2016 program and am currently participating in the NSLI-Y Korea AY 2018-2019 program as a gap year before I attend college at Columbia University. I am also grateful to have been an NSLI-Y Alumni Representative for the last two years serving with American Councils to better support our alumni association with its goals. While in South Korea--once again--with NSLI-Y, I am improving upon my Korean skills as well as delving deeper into Korean cultural and societal intricacies. This experience has also presented within itself more opportunities for me to act as a citizen ambassador: a role that I have enjoyed partaking in with my host family, high school community, as well as with individuals in the local area. At the end of my program, I hope to continue my language learning pursuits and share with others the incredible gift that is NSLI-Y-- studying abroad, learning another language, and making connections that transcend any perceived barriers.
Olivia, Chinese (Mandarin)
My name is Olivia and I am 18 years old. I hail from Tallahassee, Florida. Being an avid-language learner, I was prompted to study Chinese because of its complexity and fascinating history. After completing my year in Kaohsiung, I will study International Affairs at the George Washington University. My favorite Taiwanese night market snack is sweet potato balls.
Josh, Korean
My name is Josh, and I’m from a northern Virginia suburb of Washington, D.C. My initial reason for wanting to study Korean was the large Korean population in my hometown, whose food and hospitality attracted me to their culture and language. Many Koreans in the D.C. area, especially the elderly, do not speak English, and I seek to be able to connect with and serve them through language. As I’ve learned Korean, I have also developed a desire to make known in America the beauty that is inherent in Korean culture. Western exposure to East Asia has mostly been through China and Japan, but Korea also has a canon of literature, poetry, music, etc. that is worth knowing and studying. I know that my time here in Korea will instill in me a lifelong passion for world languages and cultures, and I will take every opportunity I can to pass on that passion to others.
Hannah, Korean
My name is Hannah and I am a participant of the NSLI-Y 2018-19 Taiwan year program. I first became interested in learning Mandarin because of its simplified and traditional character system. I studied Mandarin for two years prior to the program and hope to utilize the language in my future career as an international lawyer.