• High School student, Anthony Abinanti, Awarded a Scholarship to Study in China during the Summer of 2015

    Upper St. Clair High School student, Anthony Abinanti, has been awarded a National Security Languageabinanti Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) scholarship to study Chinese in China during the summer of 2015.

    Anthony is one of 620 competitively selected students from across the United States to receive a scholarship to study a language overseas. While in China, Anthony will receive formal instruction and informal language practice in an immersion environment.

    “When I first heard of the NSLI-Y (National Security Language Initiative for Youth) program, I could not wait to apply,” stated Anthony. “As an avid foreign language student who is studying Spanish and Chinese, participating in the NSLI-Y program seemed like a once in a lifetime opportunity that I only dreamed about. The long and competitive application process began last September when I started writing my essays and completing the 36-page application. I submitted my application in the beginning of October and received notice in December that I was a semi-finalist. Finally, after an additional set of interviews, I was announced as a finalist in early April. I am excited and blessed to have the opportunity to represent my school and country this summer. I plan to study international business and linguistics in college.”

    nsli The NSLI-Y program seeks to increase the number of Americans who can engage with native speakers of critical languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Persian, Russian, or Turkish. The goals of the NSLI-Y program include sparking a life-long interest in foreign languages and cultures, and developing a corps of young Americans with the skills necessary to advance international dialogue and cross-cultural opportunities in the private, academic, and government sectors.

    Dr. Patrick T. O’Toole, Superintendent of Schools, stated, “I offer my congratulations to Anthony for being chosen for the NSLI-Y scholarship to study in China this summer and wish him success in his future endeavors.”