This article was originally published by the US Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs International Exchange Alumni blog.
In the summer of 2015, Elise participated in the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) program in Rabat, Morocco. Through this program, she had the opportunity to gain firsthand knowledge about not only Morocco but also the Arab World and Islam.
Inspired by this 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. She has also worked to increase cultural understanding in her community by giving Arabic lessons to kindergartners at a local private school and presenting on her exchange experience at high schools in the Atlanta, Georgia area.
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, the Director of the Conflict Resolution Program at the Carter Center. Elise also recently presented on her exchange experience at the US Department of State. Our team had the chance to hear her story and were inspired by her confidence and eloquence.
In addition to her alumni efforts, Elise is actively involved in school activities serving as the youth committee secretary for the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, president of the International Club, and team leader for her high school's Model Arab League team. Her passion for international relations and public diplomacy is evident. She continues to study Arabic and has made the continuation of Arabic studies an important component in her college search. In the future, Elise plans on studying political science and Middle Eastern studies, as well as pursuing a career with the US Department of State or an international non-governmental organization.
Each month, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs' (ECA) Alumni Affairs Division, which supports alumni as they build on their exchange experiences, recognizes one outstanding alumnus or alumna. Elise is this month's outstanding alumna, and her work will be recognized throughout January on the International Exchange Alumni website, ECA's official website which serves more than one million Department-sponsored exchange alumni worldwide.
About the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) Program
Sponsored by the US Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), NSLI-Y provides merit-based scholarships for eligible high school students and recent high school graduates to learn less commonly taught languages in summer and academic-year immersion programs. Scholarships are available for students to study Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, Korean, Persian (Tajiki), Russian, and Turkish. Applications are typically due in late October; visit the NSLI-Y website for further detail.