NSLI-Y Outreach at NCSSM
Reflecting on my journey to China, I have easily realized I will truly never forget the people I met and the country across the ocean that used to seem like another planet but now is another home. Its been two months since I left China, and everyday I find myself thinking of my family and missing the taste of the boxed milk and sticky rice balls stuffed with red bean paste. Recently, feeling a wave of nostalgia, I began to listen to the song "Chengdu" and then another song called "I Love You" and even one called "Let's Learn to Speak Cat Together". In being given this opportunity to learn Mandarin Chinese and Chinese culture and become connected to a new place and to a new family, I feel obligated to inform others of this opportunity so they too can breakdown preconceptions they hold about foreign countries and develop language and cultural learning skills.
As a beginning to this NSLI-Y Outreach journey, I spoke at a NSLI-Y information session held at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM), which is the high school I attend. There are a number of students at NCSSM who have participated in the NSLI-Y program, including a senior named Daniel Lafata who also spent the summer in Chengdu, as well as two other seniors who went to Russia and two who went to India. This event was organized by the NCSSM Dean of Humanities, Dean Moose, who also happens to my amazing American Studies teacher. When she asked me if I was willing to share my journey, I was absolutely delighted to say yes. The turnout for the event was rather amazing! It looked to me that there were around 50-100 people, including students, teachers, and some parents, in attendance. Below are the resources used at the information session. Feel free to check them out!
NCSSM NSLI-Y Information Session Presentation:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ACeGWsoHHeV0LgmNmyzidxWSGnNJhLmL1XuDXAmRO90/edit?usp=sharing
NCSSM NSLI-Y Information Session Video:
Isabel Huesa's Vlog Compilation: