WESTON – Two D.C. Everest Senior High School students, Xavier Guild and Aayla Huffman, have been recognized for their Chinese language skills by the U.S. Department of State’s National Security Language Initiative for Youth, or NSLI-Y.
The organization provides critical overseas language learning opportunities and cultural immersion experiences for students. The merit-based scholarships help them develop language skills necessary to build understanding across cultures and promote international dialogue, economic prosperity and innovation worldwide.
Guild, a sophomore, was selected to participate in the highly competitive NSLI-Y program. He is a third-year Mandarin Chinese student at Everest.
“I am extremely proud of Xavier for being selected to participate in the NSLI-Y program,” said Sarah Bailey, D.C. Everest Mandarin Chinese teacher. “This program provides the perfect opportunity for Xavier to immerse himself in a new culture and improve upon his Chinese language proficiency skills.”
Guild will begin his journey this summer in Washington, D.C., where he will meet NSLI-Y representatives and fellow participants from around the country. He will then live with a host family in Taiwan for seven weeks, attend language classes and participate in cultural activities to deepen his understanding of the history and culture of Taiwan.
Huffman, a freshman and second-year Mandarin Chinese student at DCE, vied for admission to the NSLI-Y program. She progressed to the very final stage of the competitive selection process.
“Aayla is an exceptional young lady, curious about the world, and with a high language aptitude,” Bailey said. “Progressing to the final stage of a very selective national program is an amazing achievement, and I have encouraged her to try again next year.”
