Conna Walsh
In March of my eighth grade year, I made the best decision of my life - to forgo high school with my life-long friends, and to accept a scholarship to a local private school. Two amazing opportunities immediately presented themselves to me shortly before school started - my new school offered a Chinese language class, as well as a Model United Nations class. I quickly developed a passion for Chinese. Being a visual learner, I felt so at home among the thousands of characters, and I loved the flow of the language. In addition, I learned how important Chinese culture is today.

I think that participating in the NSLI-Y program in China will help me get one step closer to my goal of working in international relations. The language studies, I’m sure, will turn out to be invaluable to my entire Chinese education even through college; the homestay situation and interaction with the local culture will enable me to develop social skills that will assist me in the world of international relations.


Jordan Meier

While I haven’t narrowed down what I would like to do in my future, I know what I am passionate about. I love working with little kids and I am really interested in other languages and cultures. Anything involving lots of travel or anthropology would be great too. I think learning Chinese and learning extensively about culture now will definitely help me in the future, and this chance of a lifetime would only further enhance my opportunities.

Joe Sopchak

My name is Joe Sopchak, and I am an American student studying world languages. I am 16 years old. My family and friends have described me as kind, trustworthy, intelligent, ethical, self-motivated, and amazing beyond any level previously known to mankind. I feel as though I'm a very easy person to be with. If hosted by a family, I would do my best to make my presence as natural as possible. I'm very low-maintenance, and would be sure to carry my weight. I'd clean up after myself, help with housework, and any other necessary tasks to make my stay as easy as possible for my host family.. While probably a little over-ambitious, I would eventually like to form a band and travel the world (which is a key reason for my application to this program).