Congratulations to Abby Fowler, our Communications Coordinator, for achieving the 2023 U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship! This summer, Abby has been studying in Japan at Okayama University for an intensive Japanese language program!
Abby decided to apply for the Critical Language Scholarship because it was a great opportunity to completely immerse herself in a language.
“I am looking forward to first of all the food. I am so excited to try so many different foods. I’ve only had kind of the American version of sushi,” said Abby. Additionally, she is also excited to meet the locals and travel to the countryside of Japan.
“I think this experience will greatly impact me in gaining confidence in my language abilities even though I can do okay in the classroom here, classroom skills don’t always apply one hundred percent to real life if you are not practicing in real-life situations.” “[This experience] will make me feel a lot more confident in my communication in the future.”
After graduation, Abby hopes to spend at least a year in Japan teaching English through the Fulbright or the JET program.
At Global Ties Iowa, we are excited for Abby and can’t wait to hear all about her experience!