Carly Greenspan

Boren Scholarship, 2014-2015

I decided to apply for a Boren Scholarship in Jordan because, as an International Studies major focusing on the Middle East, I knew it was crucial to both gain experience in the region and develop my Arabic language capabilities. I can honestly say that choosing to live and study in Jordan for an academic year was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Certainly, the thought of spending an entire year abroad was, at first, extremely daunting. However, as I adapted to the pace of my new city, I began to realize that a year was the perfect amount of time. By staying in Amman for a year, I was able to expand my skills in Modern Standard Arabic, begin to learn the colloquial Jordanian dialect, gain a more nuanced perspective of regional politics, travel often, intern in Amman, and develop some incredible friendships. During an internship at the King Hussein Foundation’s Information and Research Center, I sketched out the foundation for the Fulbright research project on the intersection of Jordanian citizenship law and gender that I will undertake in 2016–2017. I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to do all of these amazing things as a Boren Scholar in Jordan.