White Plains Student Chosen for International Language Program in China

One local New York-area student better get his passport ready. Jacob Furry, a rising senior at White Plains High School in White Plains, New York, is heading to China this summer to participate in a language program through a U.S. State Department initiative.

Furry is one of 670 students selected to receive the scholarship from a pool of more than 3,300 for the National Security Language Initiative for Youth. The scholarships are funded by the State Department’s Bureau of Cultural Affairs.

While Furry will head to China to study Chinese for his placement, students from around the U.S. will travel to other countries worldwide to study languages like Arabic, Hindi, Korean, Farsi, Indonesian, and Russian. 

The program, which started in 2006 as an effort to improve communication and familiarity with languages that are relevant to the global economy, aims to teach U.S. students about language skills, international dialogue, and engaging with different cultures.