My parents mostly spoke Arabic to each other while working at the diner. As a result, I have always been fascinated by the Arabic language because it is the native language for both of my parents, as they grew up speaking it. However, I did not speak Arabic growing up, but I had always wanted to learn. Even though I didn't speak Arabic, I understood it fairly well because I always heard it when I was younger. This meant it made even more sense for me to study this language.
In high school, I decided to take Arabic to strengthen my skills in this language, and I absolutely loved it. My school, Cambridge Rindge and Latin, was the only public high school in my city, and, luckily, this school offered a variety of different languages (Spanish, French, Latin, Chinese, and Arabic). I took several different classes in high school to see where my interests lay, and I decided I really enjoyed my science classes and my Arabic classes the most. Once I was accepted to Cornell University in upstate New York, I knew that Arabic was something that I wanted to pursue. I immediately started taking Arabic classes and chose to study abroad in the spring of my third year.
I was extremely lucky to have the opportunity to travel to Amman, Jordan for an intensive Arabic language program and had a wonderful time learning about the culture and customs of the Middle East while actually being in the country. I used to visit Jordan a lot when I was younger because I have many relatives in the city of Amman. However, visiting Jordan as an adult, separate from my family, was a new and exciting experience for me. I was able to try new foods and travel to new places, and I got to meet some amazing people!
