Speak Arabic: How Arabic Became a Pathway of Possibility for Sam

For Sam, Arabic has become more than a language. It has shaped how she studies, how she thinks, and how she connects with the world around her. Her story is also a reminder of what can happen when a student’s curiosity about Arabic grows into a lasting connection with the language. With access to the right opportunities, Sam was able to keep learning, build confidence, and begin imagining a future shaped by Arabic.

Sam’s high school did not offer Arabic, so her path into the language looked different from many students who begin through traditional school programs. Instead, her early learning depended on seeking out opportunities outside of the classroom. She first started learning Arabic through a virtual program scholarship in spring 2022 and continued after receiving a scholarship to travel to Jordan for two weeks in April 2023.

During high school, Sam received a Virtual NSLI-Y scholarship, which introduced her to Arabic as a complete beginner. The program included four hours of instruction each week over 10 weeks, giving her 40 hours of consistent language learning. For Sam, those first hours of Arabic instruction were more than an introduction to a new language. They helped her discover a subject that challenged her, excited her, and gave her a new way to engage with the world.

A year later, the same scholarship opened a selective opportunity for alumni to study abroad in Jordan. Sam applied and was selected to study colloquial Arabic for two weeks during Ramadan in 2023. That immersive experience became a pivotal moment in her learning. It helped her decide which Arabic dialect she wanted to pursue and confirmed that she wanted to continue Arabic into higher education.

When Sam graduated from high school in June 2024, she had already built a strong interest in Arabic, but she needed a way to keep learning before beginning college. With a February start at Middlebury College, she used the months before her first semester to continue developing her Arabic skills. QFI’s support helped make that possible by allowing her to participate in the Arabic Language Summer Institute at the University of Maryland, College Park during summer 2024.

The summer institute changed the pace and depth of Sam’s learning. Instead of studying Arabic through separate short term experiences, she was able to focus on the language intensively and consistently. She studied Arabic as her full time focus, properly learned the alphabet, engaged in the classroom, attended daily office hours, and immersed herself in the language.

Sam described the summer institute as “a huge catalyst” in her Arabic learning experience. She completed two college level courses, ARAB101 and ARAB102, and earned an A in ARAB101 and a B in ARAB102. For Sam, the program was more than a summer course. It gave her the structure, time, and support to strengthen her foundation and grow as a student of Arabic. It also gave her space to see herself as someone who could succeed in Arabic, not only as a beginner, but as a committed learner ready for the next level.

That learning foundation mattered after the program ended. Sam continued practicing in the months leading up to her first semester at Middlebury so she could place into a higher level class. After taking a placement test, she was able to enroll in Beginning Arabic III, ARBC103, during the Spring 2025 semester. Her placement reflected more than academic progress. It reflected the confidence, discipline, and persistence she had built through sustained study.

Before entering university, Sam knew she wanted to declare an Arabic major. She planned to take Arabic throughout all eight semesters and continue through advanced 400 level lectures. She also plans to spend her junior spring semester abroad in Morocco, where she hopes to learn different dialects and deepen her interest in linguistics. Her goal is to graduate with fluency in Arabic and use the language in her future career.

At Middlebury, Sam has continued to build on the learning foundation strengthened through QFI’s support. She is studying Arabic as her major, tutoring beginner students, and serving as the Arabic Teaching Assistant for level 102 students. Next semester, she plans to continue those roles and also work as a waiter for the Arabic language table, where she can use her conversational skills.

Sam’s role as a tutor and teaching assistant shows how Arabic can become empowering not only for one student, but for the students around her. As her own Arabic skills grew, she began helping others take their first steps in the language and share in the same joyful learning experience that shaped her.

These experiences show how one intensive learning opportunity can continue to shape a student’s Arabic development. The summer institute helped Sam enter college with stronger skills and more confidence, and those skills now support her daily academic life, her work with beginner students, and her continued growth as an Arabic learner.

Sam also lives in the Arabic House, where she took a language pledge to speak Arabic consistently. The house serves as a full time learning center for Arabic students, with a native speaking teaching assistant living in the residence. Sam said, “I get to live in Arabic every day from when I wake up to when I wish my housemates a good night. It just doesn’t stop and is a really amazing experience.”

Around campus, Sam continues to encourage others to study Arabic. As she put it, “Around campus I am a walking flyer to learn Arabic. I always promote it, because I know how much it’s changed my life, and I would hope that somebody has that shared, joyful learning experience of Arabic as well.”

For Sam, the impact of QFI’s support is visible in the learning process itself. It helped her move from early exposure to sustained study, from short term opportunities to a stronger academic foundation, and from independent interest to full participation in a college Arabic program. The support did not replace her determination, but it gave that determination the structure and access it needed to grow.

Looking ahead, Sam hopes to use Arabic in a future shaped by research, linguistics, and cultural understanding. While she once imagined using her language skills in diplomacy, she is now interested in working in a museum in Cairo or Beirut and studying epigraphy, the study and deciphering of ancient inscriptions and languages. She is also interested in ancient Near Eastern languages and the possibility of becoming a comparative Semiticist.

Learning Arabic has also shaped how Sam understands the world. She said it has made her a more aware global citizen and helped her pay closer attention to media and news from different parts of the world. Her experience shows that Arabic learning is not only about grammar, vocabulary, or course placement. It can also expand how students engage with culture, history, and global issues.

For Sam, Arabic has become more than a course of study. It is a language that shapes how she sees the world, how she connects with others, and how she imagines her future. With QFI’s support, she was able to continue building her skills at a critical moment and carry that momentum into college. For K 12 Arabic educators and students, her story reflects the heart of Speak Arabic: when students have access to meaningful Arabic learning opportunities, the language can open pathways to global awareness, academic growth, confidence, connection, and futures they may not have imagined yet.