It’s the eighth consecutive year for Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages to host the students who have acquired the scholarship from the U.S. Department of State’s National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) program. This year, twelve outstanding high school students from the U.S. have been awarded this scholarship and have come to Wenzao University to study Chinese. Wenzao University organized an opening ceremony to welcome them sincerely. The ceremony was attended by Branch Public Affairs Officer Nelson Wen for the American Institute in Taiwan, Kaohsiung Branch Office; President Hwei-Lin Chuang of Wenzao University; Dr. Ching-Hwa Tsai, University Chair Professor and Taiwan’s former political Deputy Minister of Education (Academic Advisor to Wenzao); and the team members as well as host families of the NSLI-Y program. The atmosphere of the event was warm and lively.
During her speech, President Chuang welcomed the American students to join the multilingual and international campus of Wenzao. She encouraged them to maintain an open mindset, and maintain an open mindset, explore various experiences in Taiwan, and make cross-cultural experiences a vital part of their personal growth. After that, President Chuang presented each with a “Love Bag of Wenzao,” which symbolizes the beginning of their learning journey, to extend a heartfelt welcome as they have become members of the Wenzao community. Branch Public Affairs Officer Nelson Wen from the American Institute in Taiwan, Kaohsiung Branch Office also encouraged the students to become the bridge of friendship between Taiwan and the U.S.
The twelve high school students awarded the NSLI-Y Program this year were selected nationwide in the United States, and all of them have shown outstanding young academic performance and extracurricular experiences. Among them, Alvaro from Georgia, is a chief cellist who has participated in the National Science Honor Society and a Spanish-English language tutoring organization. He’s dedicated proactively to tutoring math and science for underprivileged children in Peru. Sophie, also from Georgia, serves as the chairperson of the Interact Club and the captain of the girls’ golf team. As a Chinese descent, she aims to enhance her Chinese speaking through the NSLI-Y Scholarship Program. Ethan from Maine has been learning the trombone for six years and acts as the band leader. He actively participates in parades and musical performances. Sasha from Washington is proficient in piano, cello, and singing. She started recording and releasing music at 13 and instructed in cello orchestra and English tutoring programs. Sophia from North Carolina is fluent in French, English, Spanish, and Italian. She is passionate about philanthropy and has organized fundraising events for Latin American charitable organizations, all of which have received warm responses.
The NSLI-Y Program of 2023 is an eight-month program in which participants will reside with host families in Kaohsiung throughout the entire duration. In addition to learning Chinese, the students will also take part in cultural experience classes, including visits to Tian Wen Temple and fishpond, traditional Taiwanese martial arts practice, learning to play the moon lute, and lessons in Taiwanese Hokkien. Furthermore, they will visit the Kaohsiung Padan Tribal Elementary and Junior High Schools in Shanlin District, Kaohsiung, where they will volunteer in English learning activities. The NSLI-Y program implementation team consists of both Taiwanese and American staff, including administrative interns, language tutors, and cultural teaching interns. These team members are all students from the Department of Applied Chinese of the Graduate Institute of Teaching Chinese as a Second Language who were dedicated to helping American high school students integrate into the Taiwanese learning environment.
