Stories

The NSLI-Y program languages include Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Indonesian, Hindi, Korean, Persian (Tajiki), Russian and Turkish. Listed below are all multimedia stories written, and shared by NSLI-Y students, alumni, partners, and supporters. These stories include all NSLI-Y program languages and are ordered chronologically from the most recent post.

Alumni and current students, join the conversation by submitting your own story.

Click on a language below to see stories and media related to a specific NSLI-Y program language:

Displaying stories from .

image of nsli-y students holding up art projects

Korean

Becoming the Translator at Work

Sofia, an alumna of the 2021 Korean summer program, discusses her how her NSLI-Y experience allowed her to build connections across languages at work.
image of simone in gwangju

Korean

NSLI-Y Korean Alumna Advocates for BIPOC

An Alumni Spotlight on Simone Hassan-Bey whose program experiences in Korea have aided her mission-driven work for BIPOC communities.
Live octopus on the plate

Korean

Lost

Angela, an alumna of the 2021 Korean summer program, shares how trying a new food in Korea led her to reflect on her identity as a global citizen.
an image of estelle posing with food, an image of food, and an image of nesting dolls and paints

Russian

Kalmyk Connections and Conversations

Estelle, an alum of the 2021 Russian summer program, describes how her NSLI-Y experience motivated her to learn more about her own Kalmyk culture.
image of ingrid in a tree overlooking a skyline

Chinese (Mandarin)

A Sonnet for Study Abroad

Ingrid, an alumna of the 2017 and 2018-2019 Chinese (Mandarin) programs, shares a poem that encapsulates the adventure of studying abroad.
image of Maya posing in a hanbok in a hallway with red columns and traditional Korean architecture

Korean

Photo Books

Maya, and alumna of the 2021 Korean summer program, describes how sharing photo books helped her connect with her host family.
Image of the Seoul skyline at night; buildings overlooking the water light up in colorful colors against a black sky

Korean

A Mother's Sacrifice

In this story, 2021 Korean summer alum Caroline describes how a connection with her host mom led her to reflect on the sacrifices of her own mother.
image of a colorful temple in korea at night

Korean

여름날 - Summer Days

In this poem, 2021 Korean summer alumna Michelle takes her reader through the sights and sounds of her day in Korea.
NSLI Y Photos1

Russian

Crows in Fur Coats

In this story, 2019 Russian summer alum Jordan brings her Moscow commute to life through vivid descriptions and tales of crows in fur coats.