Through our FLAS Fellow Features, get to know some of the students who have recently received awards from UW-Madison’s FLAS-granting centers. Read about their experiences on the fellowship, their diverse areas of study, and how the fellowship helped them achieve their language and cultural competency goals.
Chelsea Kuiper is a PhD student in Public Health at the University of Montana. Get to know this Summer 2024 FLAS fellow in their own words: 
What language and level did you study with your FLAS award? What UW-Madison FLAS-granting center awarded your fellowship?
During the summer of 2024, I studied elementary Nepali through the South Asia Summer Language Institute at the University of Wisconsin. I received a FLAS award to complete this intensive, eight-week program focused on both verbal and written communication.
How has receiving the FLAS fellowship impacted your overall academic experience?
The FLAS fellowship experience has been one of the most meaningful of my graduate career. The opportunity to devote over four hours of classroom time daily to practice writing, reading, and speaking in Nepali through an intensive, virtual classroom experience significantly advanced my confidence in the language. Learning a new language can be intimidating, especially in immersive formats requiring hard work and patience with yourself as you inevitably make mistakes as you practice your newly acquired skills in front of your classmates. However, throughout the summer, I saw that the more willing I was to push beyond my comfort zone and be okay with making mistakes, the more quickly I saw tangible improvements in my ability to communicate in Nepali. I am incredibly grateful for the caring community of students I was able to share this language-learning experience with this summer, all of whom I now call friends. They made going to class an enjoyable experience. Our teacher also set a supportive tone in the classroom while simultaneously pushing us to achieve our personal best.
What initially motivated you to apply for a FLAS fellowship?
I was initially motivated to apply for a FLAS fellowship to prepare me for field research in Nepal as part of completing my dissertation. I feel so fortunate to have been awarded a FLAS fellowship, as it has given me the linguistic tools necessary to build better relationships and research partnerships based on mutual understanding.
How has the FLAS fellowship helped you achieve your foreign language learning goals?
The FLAS helped me achieve my foreign language learning goals. I can engage in conversations in Nepali and have the tools to build relationships with these language skills. While I know my language journey will continue for years to come, the foundational tools I acquired this summer will help me be a more thoughtful, empathetic communicator.
What were some of the highlights from your summer language study program?
Some of the highlights from the course were the memories of laughing in class with my teacher and classmates as we told stories in Nepali. One of my favorite exercises in class was when we read lessons on a particular topic together and then paired off with a classmate to develop our own story in Nepali based on this topic. After creating a story, we would share our narrative in class. Not only was this lesson format a great way to commit to memory the new language skills we had just required, but we often found ourselves coming up with funny scenarios and stories that made us all smile when we shared them.