Menlo School student studied in Taiwan this summer

Nikhil Kothari of West Menlo Park studied Chinese (Mandarin) this summer in Taiwan on a National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI‐Y) scholarship.

NSLI‐Y, a program of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), promotes the study of Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, Indonesian, Korean, Persian (Tajiki), Russian, or Turkish.

Now a senior at Menlo School, Nikhil was one of 442 students selected from thousands of high school applicants across the United States to receive a NSLI‐Y scholarship. While in Taiwan, Nikhil lived with a host family (shown in photo), was immersed in the local culture and community, and engaged with local peers to enhance language learning and build mutual understanding.