Namaste

Hello Everyone!

My name is Roshni Raj and I will be an incoming sophomore from Pennsylvania. For the next six weeks, I will be studying in India through the NSLI-Y Hindi Summer Program. I am super excited as I leave in less than a week!

I’ve always had a love for languages, as I’m studying Spanish in school and can speak Kannada fluently (No, not Canada). Kannada is a state language of Karnataka, India, where my family is from. Almost every state in India has its own language, each with multiple dialects. However, I cannot speak or write Hindi, the official language of India in addition to English.

And that all led me to NSLI-Y (National Security Language Initiative for Youth), a U.S Department of State-sponsored program. This merit-based scholarship allows high school students to learn languages not commonly taught in the U.S., including Hindi, Arabic, Korean, Russian, Turkish, Persian (Tajiki), and Chinese (Mandarin).

Thousands of students from around the U.S. apply through many written components, but approximately 1,200 students are selected for the semifinalist stage. I thought to myself, who would choose a freshman, against more experienced high schoolers? Nonetheless, I hoped for the best when I finally got the acceptance letter in December. However, I was only halfway there.

Next, I proceeded to the finalist application, which included the dreaded interview. My interview was supposed to be in person, but due to a 24+ inch snow storm, I was interviewed over the phone. I’ve never had an interview before, so I was very nervous. However, as soon as I started talking to my interviewer, it all went away. My interviewer was a local AFS volunteer, (AFS is another study abroad program and an implementing organization with NSLI-Y). She was super nice and we talked for more than an hour. Every interview has several questions, and there’s no right or wrong answer. Based on the responses, the interviewer will report back to NSLI-Y about your personality and if you are able to handle living abroad. (Some of my questions included ‘How did you handle a disappointing situation?’ and ‘If your host sibling did not like you, what would you do?’). I thought it was a fun interview, and I learned about myself in the process.

And then we wait. The finalists were supposed to be announced by the end of April. I still had a very, very, very, long time to go. Every once in awhile I would refresh my email, but no luck. Then on leap day, February 29th, as I was studying for a huge chemistry test, I got a call. No, not from NSLI-Y, but from my mom as she was driving back from work. She said “Congratulations!!” “For what?” I replied. “Check your email,” she said excitedly. Suddenly, thoughts whirled through my head. Did I get in? No, they wouldn’t tell us this early, they’ll tell us in April. I refreshed my email and I clicked on it. But no, there was just a message which said: “Open the attached pdf regarding your application status.” While that took forever to load, my heart was racing. It felt like taking off wrapping paper only to find a box with the actual present inside. I couldn’t believe it because it said I was selected!! My initial reaction was just staring at the email. Then, it was just complete happiness and I couldn’t focus on anything else for the next hour. The pdf also stated that I will be living with a host family in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, for the entire duration of the program. Indore is a city located in the heart of India.

A month later, I started the Pre-Departure Language Learning Course until the start of the program. There were also a couple of webinars by my implementing organization, AFS, about culture, school, and tips from the 2015 Hindi Summer alumni. In May, I attended a local orientation where I met other study abroad students. All I have left now is to go to the Pre-Departure Orientation in Long Island, NY on June 29th. Then it’s off to India on July 1st!

Phir Milenge! (Bye!) फिर मिलेंगे

~Roshni~

#Hindi #India #USStateDepartment #NSLIY