Hattie Seten, an alumna of the 2016-17 Arabic Academic Year program, was announced as one of just 32 American 2021 Rhodes Scholars. Next year, Hattie will join students from all over the world to study at the University of Oxford. The scholarship covers two or three years of study at the University of Oxford in England, where she will begin in the Fall of 2021.
“When my name was called I was just so surprised and I felt very humbled and I was in awe and I just couldn’t believe it,” Seten said. Hattie is a senior and Student Association President at South Dakota State University. She is majoring in political science, Spanish and global studies. At the University of Oxford, Hattie plans to pursue a masters degree in global governance and diplomacy.
Hattie looks back on her experience during her NSLI-Y academic year program in Marrakesh, Morocco as a turning point for her. “Prior to NSLI-Y, I had never traveled abroad, and I had never had the opportunity to study Arabic before. Coming from South Dakota, my NSLI-Y experience opened my eyes to global challenges, perspectives, and opportunities. Through NSLI-Y, I developed a curiosity to learn about our global world and I yearned to serve as an effective citizen diplomat. Following my NSLI-Y experience in Morocco, I returned to South Dakota for my undergraduate studies with clearly defined interests in Arabic, the Middle East and North Africa region, and a personal desire to eventually work in diplomacy. My NSLI-Y experience, my Moroccan host family, and the friends that I have made through speaking Arabic, will always be a part of my personal and professional trajectory. I am forever thankful that I had the chance to participate in this life-changing program.”
You can learn more about Hattie’s story here.