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Dylan Liu, set to begin his senior year at South Pasadena High, will study Turkish this summer in Turkey on a National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI‑Y) scholarship.
NSLI‑Y, a program of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), promotes the study of Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, Indonesian, Korean, Persian, Russian, or Turkish.
Dylan was one of 540 students selected from thousands of high school applicants across the United States to receive a NSLI‑Y scholarship. While in Ankara, Turkey, Dylan will live with a host family, immerse in the local culture and local community for six weeks, and engage with local peers to enhance language learning and build mutual understanding.
His mother, Natasha Liu, says Dylan has a strong interest in baseball, as a member of the SPHS team, and history in the classroom, noting he is “deeply passionate about government and world affairs and hopes to pursue a degree in international Affairs in college.”
Launched in 2006 as part of a multi-agency U.S. Government initiative, NSLI‑Y increases the number of young Americans with the critical language skills necessary to advance international dialogue, promote economic prosperity and innovation worldwide, and contribute to national security by building understanding across cultures.
Many NSLI‑Y alumni go on to pursue education and careers vital to U.S. national security and credit the program experience with helping them improve their academic, leadership, and cross-cultural communication skills.
NSLI‑Y is administered by American Councils for International Education in cooperation with AFS‑USA, American Cultural Exchange Service, Amideast, iEARN‑USA, Stony Brook University, and the University of Delaware.
In addition to the state department program, Dylan was also selected by the Pasadena American Legion to attend the 2025 Boys State in Sacramento, which according to the organization’s website: Empowers young Californians with knowledge, skills, and confidence necessary to actively engage in civic responsibility, foster inclusive communities, and drive change to our society.
Applications for NSLI‑Y programs are available at www.nsliforyouth.org each fall.
