Fifteen NCSSM students have achieved semifinalist status in the National Security Language Initiatives for Youth Scholarship Program for the Study of Critical Languages (NSLI-Y).

These summer and gap-year scholarships, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, offer students intensive immersion in less commonly taught languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Turkish, Hindi, Russian, and Persian, in a variety of countries all over the world. Since 2009, more than 25 NCSSM students have achieved finalist status and have participated in the program.

This year’s semifinalists are:

Henry Chapman

Jonah Dixon

Daniel LaFata

Joshua Magill

Ryan Mehta

Matthew Mims

Kobe Spells

Hanna Fulford

Aneka Happer

Emma Holmes

Isabel Huesa

Sarah Nelson

Kimsean Tieu

Anna Walter

Amzie Yurko

The NSLI-Y program was launched in 2006 to promote critical language learning among American youth. The U.S. Department of State, in cooperation with American Councils for International Education, awards and administers merit-based scholarships to high school students for participation in summer and academic year immersion programs in locations where the seven NSLI-Y languages are spoken. NSLI-Y immerses participants in the cultural life of the host country, giving them formal and informal language practice and sparking a lifetime interest in foreign languages and cultures.

NSLI-Y is administered by American Councils for International Education in cooperation with AFS-USA, iEARN, American Cultural Exchange Service (ACES), AMIDEAST, Legacy International, Russian American Foundation (RAF), Stony Brook University, University of Delaware, University of Minnesota, University of Wisconsin, and other organizations.