One of 440 students selected from thousands of high school applications, Mission San Jose High School student Cham Yu is set to travel to Latvia this summer to study Russian as a part of the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) program.
Organized by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, NSLI-Y was launched in 2006 to promote young Americans learning critical language skills necessary for cross-cultural communication and leadership skills. A fully funded scholarship, NSLI-Y offers seven different language programs with the goal of immersing participants in the host culture through home stays, activities and excursions.
Born in Hong Kong and speaking three different languages, Yu commented that he has always had an interest in international relations and hopes to work in National Security in the future. “I had to move to [the U.S.] when I was 11, and I became very close to foreign relations and media,” Yu said. “My interest in something unfamiliar drove me to apply since I really enjoy learning languages.”
Yu has spoken at United Nations floor interventions and is currently working on a strip mall redevelopment bill for affordable housing as a part of Rebuild the Bay, which he founded with friends. The organization also engages with urban development research with NGOs in Kenya, India and Nigeria.
During the application process, Yu was interviewed by a program alumna who now works at the National Security Agency. “It was a great experience for me to get to know someone who’s already in that track,” Yu said, “and see how the graduates of these programs get to be connected with different alumni of state department programs, which is crucial for career development.”
While in Latvia for six weeks, Yu will live with his host family, engage with local customs, undertake rigorous language instruction, and represent America as a citizen ambassador. Since Russian is an entirely new language he has never been exposed to, Yu has been practicing using program resources.
“Learning the cyrillic script is very important for getting around Eastern Europe, and it’s just a very important life skill, which is why I wanted to choose Russian,” Yu said.
Despite initial anxieties regarding possible language barriers with his host family, Yu is excited to talk to people in a foreign language. “The fact that [the language] is so unfamiliar, and I’m doing it for the first time, makes me so excited for the program,” Yu said. In addition to learning a new language, he hopes to immerse himself in a new culture to gain a wider cultural perspective he can take back to his friends and classmates.
Yu expressed his worries over the impact of recent government budget cuts on the program, emphasizing the importance of cultural exchange and study abroad programs. “This type of intimate connection with foreign countries is not something you can get if you get rid of exchange programs, and it would be a shame to see exchange programs go away,” Yu said.
He encourages students interested in learning new languages, National Security, or study abroad programs to apply, advising people to keep an open mind. “You’re there to see what other cultures have to offer,” Yu said, “Daring to learn and experience different cultures is just what makes that trip even more worthwhile because you’re going out of your comfort zone to see new people and experience new cultures.”
