BIAFRA OKORONKWO '17 TO STUDY ARABIC OVERSEAS

Biafra Okoronkwo '16 has been awarded the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) scholarship sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. With this scholarship, Biafra will be studying Arabic in Morocco for six weeks this summer while living with a host family. He is one of only 620 competitively selected students from across the United States who will receive a scholarship to study Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Persian, Russian, or Turkish overseas this year. While in Morocco, he will receive formal instruction and informal language practice in an immersion environment.

According to their website, the NSLI-Y program seeks to increase the number of Americans who can engage with native speakers of critical languages. The goals of the NSLI-Y program include sparking a life-long interest in foreign languages and cultures, and developing a corps of young Americans with the skills necessary to advance international dialogue and cross-cultural opportunities in the private, academic, and government sectors.