I have some exciting news! I'm going to live in Morocco this summer on the NSLI-Y scholarship.
I have been going through the application process for the scholarship for a while at this point, but my awesomeness and patience payed off.
NSLI-Y is the National Security Language Initiative for Youth. It is a US State Department sponsored program to countries that speak languages that are becoming more important in forgein policy and aren't taught in schools. The languages are Chinese, Russian, Tajiki/Persian, Hindi, Korean, Turkish, and (of course) Arabic.
The first part of the application is written. There is the standard application with your name and all that information. Then there are a couple of short essays, including a letter to your future host family, and parent and teacher recommendations.
After this, they choose semi-finalists. During this stage in the process, we have an in-person or phone interview (depending on where we live). From these interviews, the finalists/scholarship recipients are chosen.
I was chosen for the summer Morocco program. Since the application is by language, not country, I know nothing about Morocco.
Since I will be living there, I decided to do some googling. Here's what I got:
1. Morocco has the sixth largest economy in Africa. The top three are Nigeria, South Africa, and Egypt (<3).
2. Morocco is about the size of California. Morocco is about 176,414 sq. miles and California is about 163,696 sq. miles.
3. Casablanca takes place in Morocco. I had no idea and I will be watching it ASAP.
4. Morocco is at the very top edge of Africa. I knew it was part in North Africa, but I didn't know specifically. It shares borders with Mauritania and Algeria and Western Sahara, kind of. (Morocco thinks Weatern Sahara is Morocco and Western Sahara disagrees).
5. Morocco is one of three countries with Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines. The other two are Spain and France.
That's pretty much all I know other than most people are Muslim and everyone speaks Arabic. I follow a couple Morocco instagram accounts to get me in the mood, but that's it.
I am so excited to go to Morocco and learn about Arabic and the country itself. As I go on this adventure and blog about it, I will teach y'all about Morocco and we'll learn all the stuff you can't find on Google.
I can't wait. Learn something today (and this summer).
Byeeeee
Corie.
NSLI-Y: nsliforyouth.org
Map: http://www.global-workforce.globalization101.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/GenderGlobalizationPPT3.pptx
Vender pic: http://m.roughguides.com/destinations/africa/morocco/things-miss/
Casablanca poster: IMDb.com