Leigh Lawrence credits NSLI-Y for first sparking her now long-term interest in language and culture studies. After participating in a summer 2010 NSLI-Y program to Beijing, China, Leigh went on to study Chinese through The Language Flagship program at Arizona State University. Leigh continued studying abroad in China every summer through various study abroad programs, culminating in her capstone year in China, funded by a Boren Scholarship.
During her capstone year, Leigh interned at a gourmet food magazine in Nanjing where she researched and wrote numerous articles and even taught baking classes at local cafes. Her students, ranging from adult couples to families with young children, learned how to make classic American treats from cupcakes to sugar cookies. She acknowledges the challenges of finding Chinese substitutes for items such as shortening and powdered sugar, but laughs about the time she had to ship food coloring in from Macau.
In fall 2014, inspired by the fun and open exchange of cultures she established through baking classes abroad, Leigh proposed and was awarded a NSLI-Y Alumni Grant for Ping-Pong Pastries -- Cultural Diplomacy through Culinary Arts, a community engagement project whose name references Ping Pong Diplomacy, a Nixon-era effort to bridge US-China relations.
Through her grant, Leigh met extensively with teachers and principals in over 12 San Diego-area schools to plan and organize Chinese baking classes. After an overview of study abroad opportunities in China, including NSLI-Y, she teaches K-12 students the history and traditions behind the Mid-Autumn Festival and shows them how to make mooncakes, the traditional desert of the Chinese holiday. Leigh says, "This alumni grant has given me the chance to encourage and hopefully inspire numerous students."
Leigh has seized opportunities along the path of federally funded programs in language study and has brought her exchange experience home, embodying the role of citizen ambassador, conducting educational outreach, promoting cultural understanding, and sparking further interest in language studies among youth.
Reflecting on her language studies, Leigh says, "I look at myself as a lifetime learner. NSLI-Y, Flagship, and the Boren Scholarship were stepping stones to my academic career in China and my future career, and I am tremendously grateful for the invaluable knowledge, skills, and experiences I've gained."
To learn more about the NSLI-Y program, visit: http://www.nsliforyouth.org/
To learn more about The Language Flagship program, visit: www.thelanguageflagship.org