April 2022 BLOG POST:
Studying Abroad: NSLI-Y

by Gabriella Ignacio

It was during the spring of my freshman year when, through the fateful chance of YouTube recommendations, I first heard about the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y). The recommended video was a vlog by a girl in high school, who, through NSLI-Y, was able to study the language and culture of South Korea during the summer*. As someone who enjoys both travel and language learning, the idea of spending an entire summer abroad greatly appealed to me, and I eagerly watched as the student went about documenting her daily life. Upon finishing the video and ensuing further research, I discovered that NSLI-Y not only aligned with my interests of linguistics and cultural immersion, but was completely funded for by the government in the form of a scholarship (this post is not sponsored by the way). This deepened my determination to participate, and I set out to plan my application.