Four Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts students are using special opportunities this summer and over the next school year to expand their language capabilities and explore new cultures.
Three students — two recent Class of 2024 graduates and one member of the Class of 2026 — will travel abroad during the summer for language and culture immersion programs sponsored by the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y). The fourth student will spend a full academic year in Germany through the Congress Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) program.
Participating in NSLI-Y programs this summer are Emily Xiong and Ivy Hong, both who recently graduated as part of the Class of 2024, and Matthew Patella of the Class of 26. Xiong will be studying Mandarin Chinese through a virtual program before spending six weeks with a host family in Taiwan. Hong will participate in a Korean language program in Seoul, Korea, sponsored by the International Education Resource Network (iEARN). Patella will travel to Ankara, Turkey, to study Turkish at the Tomer University of Language at the University of Ankara.
Vasily Nedosekin, who just completed his first year at ASMSA as a sophomore, will spend a full academic year as a student in Germany as part of the CBYX program. He will live with a host family, attending high school there before returning to ASMSA to complete his final two years of American high school.
Xiong is excited about the opportunity to learn Chinese, her parents’ native language. “I’ve always wanted to speak it, and I thought NSLI-Y would be a great opportunity to immerse myself in the language and culture,” Xiong said. “I’ve always been passionate about traveling and learning about new cultures, so I thought this would be a fun experience. My main goal is to be fluent in my native tongue again and be able to communicate with my parents in Chinese.”
Xiong said her sister went on a NSLI-Y trip last year, encouraging her to apply herself “because it was the best experience of her life.” There’s also the perk that the trips, other than some personal expenses, are paid for by the program.
Hong also has personal motivations to begin to learn Korean through the NSLI-Y program. She said her main motivation for applying for the program was to learn how to better communicate with her family. “Often, there is a language barrier, so I will seek to ease it through my endeavors in Korean,” Hong said.
Hong will live with a host family and attend Korean classes for the duration of her stay in Seoul. While classes will take up most of her time on weekdays, she will have the opportunity to explore the city with her host family and fellow students as well. Hong said she hopes the experience will provide her with a sense of independence as ash also learns more about Korean culture and language.
Patella began learning Turkish while in the sixth grade. “I have always had a huge love for Turkish culture and language ever since I took a Turkish class. I have taken Turkish classes every year, and each year, I fall further and further in love with the language. I am studying abroad because I wanted to challenge myself in the most rigorous way possible in order to take my abilities to the next level.”
Patella will spend six weeks in Turkey taking language and culture classes while living in the Tomer University dorms. Patella’s goal is to take their take another step in Turkish fluency with an ultimate goal of maybe one day becoming a cultural ambassador and potentially work in international relations.
Nedosekin is most excited about having the opportunity to be fully immersed in German culture. “I’m going to Germany for the people, culture and history. I want to learn how people live their lives, what traditions they have, and most of all, dive deep into German history,” he said.
He will be moving to Germany for a year with little experience in the language. Nedosekin said he had no previous knowledge of German before applying for the program, but he has been trying to learn as much of it as he can before the trip through Duolingo. He also planned to start a summer course with an instructor.
Nedosekin said his mother was the first person to share information about CBYX with him. His interest in applying for the program to grow, especially after he began learning more about various German traditions and festivals.
He was in a chemistry class when he first learned that he had been accepted into the program. “When I read the words ‘CBYX’ and ‘Congratulations,’ I stood up so fast that I actually slammed my desk,” Nedosekin said. “I’ll never forget the look Mr. (Mark) Turner gave me before I explained what was happening.”