Wardlaw-Hartridge sophomore selected to study in China
Wardlaw-Hartridge School sophomore was selected out of 250 applicants to receive the Halsey Scholarship, affording her the opportunity to spend her junior year studying in Beijing, China.
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| (Photo: Photo courtesy of The Wardlaw-Hartridge School) |
SOUTH PLAINFIELD – Like a vibrant butterfly ready to burst out of its cocoon, the once-timid Yumna Naqvi sees her upcoming year abroad in China as the broadening of a horizon she is eager to embrace.
The Wardlaw-Hartridge School sophomore and South Plainfield resident calls Feb. 26 “one of her best days ever” when she learned that she was selected out of 250 applicants to receive the Halsey Scholarship, affording her the opportunity to spend her junior year studying in Beijing.
The scholarship is awarded through the School Year Abroad (SYA) program and provides full tuition, airfare and room and board.
Yumna, who was accepted to serve as an ambassador for the 100,000 Strong Foundation in October, attended the organization’s reunion conference the following month at George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia.
“People who studied abroad in China through SYA were there talking about their experiences,” she recalled. “I remember how they talked about how exciting it was to make new friends, navigate the city by themselves, eat new foods, learn about a new culture and be independent.”
“I talked to the president of SYA and he said that even if there was a tiny bit of me that wanted to apply for the scholarship that I should go for it,” explained Yumna, who is considering a career in business.
“So, I went home and told my parents about it. They thought I was joking, but eventually they came around and I applied.”
“The classes are supposed to be really interactive,” she said, noting that the Chinese history students are learning outside of the classroom walls by visiting actual historical sites.
“There’s also an AP environmental science class that I would like to take and there is a trip to the Yunnan Province where you can live for two weeks. There are different dialects and cultures in different areas and that is exciting to me as well as visiting places like the Great Wall and the Forbidden City,” she added.
The challenging application process called upon Yumna to pen five essays and to participate in discussions with an alumni of the program and larger groups.
For the essays, she was asked why she wanted to apply for the scholarship, where she pictured herself several years from now, which experiences helped her prepare for the China opportunity, and what she would write about if she had to compose an autobiography.
During the discussions, she fielded questions about the differences between her Muslim culture and the Chinese culture she would encounter.
Interestingly enough, those differences posed concern and conflict for Yumna as she approached the opportunity.
As a Muslim female, she wears the hijab, a veil that covers the head and chest in the presence of adult males outside of her immediate family as a form of modest attire.
“I wear the scarf for modesty purposes and if I am living with a host family, I would have to wear the scarf (because of the male members of the family),” explained Yumna.
She noted that officials organizing her study abroad are trying to find an all-female family for her to live with. She also has dietary restrictions (she eats Halal meat and would have to “go vegetarian” if that option was not available. If there is a uniform dress code, she would have to wear long sleeves and pants.
“I also pray five times a day, so that has to be worked into my schedule,” she said. “I pray at dawn when I am getting ready for school, when I come home from school, before I got to sleep and at other times.”
According to Yumna, some members of her mosque did not feel it was appropriate for her to pursue an opportunity abroad and Yumna asked an Islamic scholar who studied abroad to help her convince her parents that the trip would be a good idea.
Expanding her horizons is one of the prominent reasons why she pursued the study abroad.
“I used to be an introvert,” explained Yumna, whose bubbly personality and enthusiasm for trying new things proves she now is an extrovert.
“But, I went to London last summer by myself to visit my relatives and it felt really good,” she said.
Her involvement with the 100,000 Strong Foundation has underlined her interest in exploring new cultures and traditions.
As a member, she must complete three projects during the year and she has chosen to emphasize the value of a study abroad experience to her peers. Her first project was a presentation to Wardlaw-Hartridge’s middle- and high-school students participating in the school’s Mandarin Chinese classes. She also offered a presentation around Chinese New Year to students.
“My second project hasn’t be completed yet, but I may write an op-ed in the school newspaper, The Beacon, to spread awareness and promoting study abroad,” Yumna said.
For her third project, she will maintain a blog about her experiences while studying in China.
At Wardlaw-Hartridge, Yumna is a member of the Model United Nations club, book club and junior varsity tennis team (she was captain this year). She is also an avid baker, plays the flute in the school band, and she volunteered at JFK Medical Center in Edison last summer.
“Wardlaw’s diversity helped expose me to different traditions and nationalities, as I made friends with students of other cultures and some of the international students,” she said.
Andrew Webster, Wardlaw-Hartridge head of school, shared, “We are proud that Yumna has earned this wonderful opportunity.”
“The Wardlaw-Hartridge School is known for its focus on global interconnections. We ask our students to build a strong understanding of global cultures and to engage with pressing global issues,” he said.
“I am glad that Yumna has chosen to study in China and look forward to her sharing her experiences with our students here. I know she will represent Wardlaw-Hartridge well and will benefit tremendously from her studies in China,” concluded Webster.
When asked about why it is important in today’s society to learn about and appreciate other cultures, Yumna noted, “Personally, I have met so many people who have asked me some uneducated questions about my culture. I think by growing up and being surrounded by that, it made me realize that I should learn about other people’s cultures and not be someone that makes assumptions.”
“One of the alumni who received this scholarship told me about how their experience in China encouraged them to want to travel and learn even more about other cultures. I hope I can do that,” she said. “The more educated people are about the rest of the world, the better the world will be.”
Yumna is the daughter of Noreen Jafri, a math and science teacher at Wardlaw-Hartridge, and Ashik Abbas. Her brother, Ali, is a 2013 graduate of the school and attends Rutgers University. Her sister, Faizah, is a fifth-grader at Wardlaw-Hartridge.
Source - mycentraljersey.com
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