Amelia Schulz, Hopkins High School and XinXing scholar, will study Chinese (Mandarin) this summer in Taiwan on a National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) scholarship. Amelia was one of 540 students selected from thousands of high school applicants across the United States to receive a NSLI-Y scholarship. We had the opportunity to speak to Amelia to find out more about her summer trip:
Can you tell us a little bit of the process of how you got this scholarship?
It was a pretty prestigious process. The application process took a long time and there was a lot of uncertainty. When you finally make it to the finals, there is an interview, but there is still a lot of uncertainty. So, all together, there were four months of just waiting and waiting.
Where will you be this summer?
I’ll spend six weeks in Taiwan. I'm going to be in New Taipei, where I’ll have classes at a local university. We stay with host families who will help show us the culture and places to go.
Do you have any fun plans outside of the classroom?
I do track and field, so I like to get training in when I can. Many people said that I should try the 7-Eleven ice cream. I've also heard the night markets are really fun; lots of the alumni recommended that. I’ll also try to get into the heart of the city at least a few times alone because then you're really forced to learn the language and culture.
How do you think XinXing has prepared you for this opportunity?
This is my second year in XinXing. All the teachers are always telling you about new opportunities and they want you to try new things. Their support is really fun to have. I was in an immersion program at a different school before Hopkins, but at the end of eighth grade, I chose Hopkins High School because of the XinXing program. I heard that it was really good, and I definitely don't regret making that decision.