FSU alumna Mae Zitzke to study Arabic language in Morocco

Like most people in academics, Mae Zitzke receives a stream of emails, most that can be deleted without a second thought. A recent one that arrived in her inbox, however, has given Zitzke the opportunity of a lifetime—an eight-week scholarship to study the Arabic language in Morocco.

“I received an email from the program coordinator that I would be getting the award, and a separate email with my placement location,” Zitzke says. “I was shocked. I was also very excited and went home to tell my closest friend right away.”

Critical Language Scholarships through the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs help further a student’s research and exploration of foreign languages and cultures. Florida State University announced in early May that Zitzke and two other students had earned the scholarship.

Zitzke, who graduated from FSU in December 2021 with her bachelor’s degree in international affairs, says that in school she was drawn toward the Middle East, a region she has wanted to visit. Her interests were specifically focused on the languages, history, and cultures of the area and North Africa.

“In applying for the program, you just apply for a language, and then the program coordinators place you in a location,” she says. “I was not expecting Morocco, but I am very excited to go and learn more about it.”

Zitzke has worked with FSU’s Department of English as an administrative associate and human resources representative since early February (read English major Alyssa Cuevas' profile of Zitzke), but she is leaving the department at the end of May. Including travel time, the dates for her Summer 2022 program are June 12 through August 10. The State Department pays for the flight and accommodations. Zitzke will be with about 20 other American students.

“I am a little nervous to go to an entirely different environment with a group of new people,” she admits. “I am also excited to be studying Arabic again, but in the midst of preparing, working, and packing up my house, I haven't had a lot of time to study in preparation, so I'm a bit worried that I won't start the program with my language as practiced as I would like it to be.”

In applying for the program, you just apply for a language, and then the program coordinators place you in a location. I was not expecting Morocco, but I am very excited to go and learn more about it.

— Mae Zitzke

According to the State Department, the CLS provides “rigorous academic instruction in 15 languages that are critical to America’s national security and economic prosperity. CLS participants are citizen ambassadors, sharing American values and promoting American influence abroad.”

The application process for the scholarship was lengthy, Zitzke says, with the finalized package due in late October 2021. She submitted several essays, her transcripts, and a letter of recommendation.

“At the time, I was working on multiple applications, so I had a good bit of the information already compiled,” she adds. “The essays took me the longest, I took my time writing them over several days.”

Then came the waiting until the acceptance email. Zitzke has accepted her overall nervousness as part of the process, and she expects the anticipation to reach even higher levels as her departure time nears.

“I think when I get on my first flight it will start to feel more real and all of the other emotions will probably hit me the hardest then,” she says.

Her goals in the program include gaining clarity on whether learning Arabic and working in the region is a path she will pursue as a future career and to increase her confidence in speaking Arabic. She also wants to solidify her plans for graduate school, while considering more ideas on possible study and research topics.

“I think it will also be helpful being back in an academic setting, and taking difficult language classes will be good preparation for the challenge of graduate school,” she says.

Ultimately, she says, the program is an opportunity for personal development.

“I think this experience will really push me out of my comfort zone,” Zitzke says, “and I've always grown and learned a lot in uncomfortable settings, so I'm excited for the potential in that.”

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