Brittany Kyser, a Religion major at the University of Mary Washington, pursued her interest in the Middle East when she decided to study in the Arab World the summer following her junior year. Brittany participated in both sessions of the summer intensive Arabic language program in Amman Jordan (2011) in order both to gain a better perspective on the region and to improve her Arabic language skills.
 

For two months, Brittany lived with a Jordanian host family, studied Modern Standard and Jordanian Colloquial Arabic courses, and explored the country in her free time. She was particularly appreciative of her Jordanian host family, as they offered a gateway to understanding Jordanian culture and the local Arabic dialect. While she enjoyed all of the AMIDEAST-organized excursions, she and other students also took the initiative to pursue independent travel around the country. During the weekends, Brittany visited Wadi Rum, Petra, Aqaba, and Dana Nature Reserve with planning assistance from the AMIDEAST program staff. Thanks to the staff and instructors, Brittany felt more confident in her cultural and Arabic knowledge and her ability to travel on her own in the future.
 

In reflecting on her time abroad, Brittany said “I grew, not only as an Arabic speaker, but also as a person through my time with AMIDEAST.” Brittany is in her final semester at the University of Mary Washington. Since returning to the U.S. she has applied for several research grants and scholarships in the Arab world. Brittany hopes to return to the region to improve her Arabic within the next year and eventually hopes to pursue a graduate degree in Middle East or Islamic studies.