Missouri City teen uses award to study in Korea
Alexis Booker, a Missouri City resident and student at Yes Prep Brays Oaks, is one of 620 students selected to receive a National Security Language Initiative for Youth scholarship for the 2015-16 school year.
The National Security Language Initiative, launched in 2006 and sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, matches students with an overseas host family and provides instruction and informal language practice in an immersion environment.
The competitive language study program awards select students with scholarships to travel abroad and study Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Turkish, Persian or Russian.
The goal of the NSLI-Y program is to equip American youth with linguistic skills to foster international dialogue and engagement with other cultures that will prepare them to be leaders in a global
world.
Participants chosen to take part in the program are selected on the basis of several criteria, including academic standing and passion for learning another language.
“We look for enthusiasm for language learning, strong sense of character, demonstrated cultural awareness and a will to succeed. Maturity and readiness for a challenging academic and international experience are very important factors,” said Bart Pogue, NSLI-Y senior program officer for the American Councils for International Education.
Booker, who will be a senior in the fall, will study Korean in South Korea for two weeks this summer.
Priscilla Booker received the news of her daughter’s scholarship and selection into the program with a mix of emotions.
“I was filled with excitement, unbelief and fear, all at the same time, then, I felt a sense of peace. This is not Alexis’ first international trip therefore I was able to let the fear subside. Alexis is a very courageous young lady full of passion for the things she’s determined to do,” said Booker of her daughter who also has traveled to Madrid, Spain.
Clark Booker echoed his wife’s sentiments and commended his daughter for her forward thinking and pursuit of academic excellence from an early age.
“She has always excelled, from GT classes to piano lessons to cheerleading and volleyball. She is a member of the National Honor Society and has won numerous scholar awards.
We have always been proud of Alexis,” said Clark Booker.
The scholarship covers round-trip travel, room and board and tuition expenses of participants as they study abroad.
Students not only have the opportunity to learn another language and apply the skills they acquire, but also engage in community projects and cultural excursions in their host country.
For Booker, the program has changed her thoughts of becoming a marine biologist or environmental scientist.
“In the future, I plan on teaching English in a foreign country to gain experience by learning about the culture firsthand. Over time, after I have studied in the country and become fluent in the language, I wish to become an interpreter in the Office of Language Services for the U.S. government,” she said.
On completion of the rigorous language program, she will join the more than 3,800 students who, as of last year, are listed as alumni of the program.
Booker looks forward to traveling overseas and gaining invaluable skills that will enhance her ability to engage with and appreciate other cultures.
“This program will equip me for the future by offering the opportunity for a cultural immersion that I would otherwise not experience. Ultimately, this program will make me globally competitive by being able to understand the culture of a country and speak the language fluently,” said Booker.
The Missouri City teen lists Baylor, Texas State University, Claremont Colleges (California), University of Southern California and Temple University ( Japan campus) among her top college choices.