AIIS Urdu; Beginner; Lucknow, India; 2011

University of Southern California
Class of 2012 (Delayed graduation to 2013)
Major: International Relations
Minors: Cultural Anthropology, History, and Business Law

I searched the Department of State website for language scholarships.

Urdu is a strategically beneficial language as it is spoken in both India (a major force in South Asian/Asian relations) and Pakistan (a strategic and important ally of the US in the region). As an International Relations major with a focus in security studies, I wanted to learn a language that would be valuable for my interests and provide a unique look into a South Asian culture.

Upon graduation my goal is to attend graduate school and to eventually enter the Foreign Service. As public diplomacy becomes increasingly important in successful U.S. foreign policy agendas, the knowledge of critical languages is necessary for proactively engaging foreign peoples and cultures. I hope to use my Urdu and other language skills to effectively work in the field of public diplomacy.

I plan to undertake research regarding U.S.-India relations with a professor who is fluent in Urdu. I have also purchased several beginners level Urdu books here in India and intend to work with them until I return to university studies in the Spring.

Once I go back to USC I intend to take an independent study with a Hindi professor (because my university does not offer Urdu) who also knows Urdu and continue my language learning. Upon graduation, I anticipate using my Urdu skills in the Foreign Service.

No, however, it strengthened and broadened my understanding of this region and provided me with a strong foundation to continue learning Urdu back in the US for my future career goals.

The people! The first weekend that we were in Lucknow I was exploring with a few other CLSers and it started to rain–it is monsoon season after all! We decided to try and find a local restaurant to wait it out and walked to a nearby university to ask for recommendations. We ended up meeting one of the University administrators who invited us in for chai and a great conversation. From bargaining in bazaars to having chai with locals on the streets, the interactions and conversations with the local Indians were the most memorable and beneficial experiences in terms of using my Urdu skills and learning more about Lucknow culture.

Food! Although I have had Indian food many times before coming to India, the diversity in dishes seems never-ending. From the various koftas, daals, and pakoras, to chikki and gulab jamun, every meal is an experience.

Everyday in Lucknow is an adventure. Early in the program I was walking home from a friend’s house when a few Indians called me over to a roadside corn-on-the-cob stand. I had seen one of the guys many times before but never stopped, but this time I thought ‘why not!’ So I walked over and the man roasting the corn became very excited. He, along with his brothers and a nearby rickshaw man started asking me all sorts of questions. ‘Where are you from?’, ‘How big is your family?’, ‘Why are you here in India?’, ‘What do your parents do?’ etc. I literally think I used all of the Urdu vocabulary that I have learned to talk to them. I met their entire family and learned about their lives in Lucknow. They were very intrigued with all that I had to say, and above all, they were extremely patient with my beginner Urdu skills. It was a great time and the roasted corn covered in masala was delicious!

Koi-Baat-NahiN. It means ‘Don’t mention it’; ‘No problem’. This phrase has so many meanings depending on the context, but it seems to be most used by rickshaw drivers who want to bargain after you have reached your final destination.

I grew up in the small city of New London, Wisconsin. From the endless varieties of cheese to the blistering cold winters, I love Wisconsin and had a great childhood. In high school I developed a love for scavenger hunts and quickly became known around the school for being found in random locations planting or recovering clues. After graduating at the top of my class, I enrolled at USC and knew immediately that I wanted to study International Relations. The summer after my sophomore year I participated in a course on global governance at the Geneva Graduate Institute and interned at the UNHCR. Through lectures and research into contemporary security threats and issues relating to transnational cooperation, I developed a keen interest for security studies. I hope to eventually work for the Foreign Service and to use my Urdu skills to engage in public diplomacy.