A Plano Senior High student has been awarded a full scholarship to study Chinese abroad from the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y).  The NSLI-Y program was launched in 2006 to promote critical language learning among American youth. The U.S. Department of State, in cooperation with American Councils for International Education, awards merit-based scholarships to high school students for participation in summer and academic year immersion programs. NSLI-Y immerses participants in the cultural life of the host country, giving them formal and informal language practice and sparking a lifetime interest in foreign languages and cultures. The scholarship winner is a student of Xinyan Liu at Plano Senior High School.

• Ella Goechner-Wald, a Chinese III honors student, has been selected to participate in the University of Delaware's NSLI-Y Summer Institute of Chinese Language and Culture from July to August in Xiamen, China at Xiamen University.  

"We look forward to welcoming Ella back for her senior year and hearing about her experience and the impact of this life-changing opportunity," said Plano ISD Coordinator of World Languages Stephany Sipes.