Urdu Summer FLAS-MESALI Online

When I was a kid, I was never able to talk to my grandparents in Urdu. They would have to speak in broken English to me. For some time, I was content with not fully understanding Urdu, my Pakistani family still celebrated our culture in other ways instead of speaking Urdu. However, as I grew older, I realized that I had missed out big time. 

I applied for the FLAS with little expectation of being accepted. I wrote of my true raw desire to finally grasp Urdu. I spoke of my ambition to spread mental health awareness within South Asian communities. If I am to leave one piece of advice for creating a successful FLAS application, it's to truly speak of how you are going to utilize the language to help better the world. 

When I was accepted to the Summer FLAS Fellowship, I was excited and nervous. I did my beginner Urdu class through the MESALI Language Institute. MESALI is based in DC but I was able to do my fellowship online. In the beginning, I didn’t know if I was capable of learning a language. However, after working 140 hours with my teacher, Isma Sahar, I realized that it's not just a matter of endurance, but also confidence. It was every bit challenging but also every bit fun. 

If you told my five-year-old self that I was able to talk to my grandparents fully in Urdu, she wouldn’t believe you! I now feel even more connected to my roots and culture! I encourage anyone interested in FLAS to go for it because you are the only one holding yourself back!

I want to take the time to thank Ross from the MESALI Program for connecting me to this organization! I also want to thank Isma Saha from the bottom of my heart for working with me all Summer (and also for introducing me to Pakistani dramas)!