My name is Amy. My Arabic adventure began under the guidance of Professor Abbadi in 2013, my sophomore year of college, as I declared my minor that same year. Initially I took Arabic because I thought it would be a good challenge for me, it definitely was, but I was also interested in the culture that surrounds the language. Since then I have had the wonderful experience of traveling abroad to Tunisia where I fell in love with the country and made a wonderful group of friends, whom I am still in contact with. Having completed Arabic 101-104 at Loyola I was able to navigate Tunisia my first few days with some minor comfort of understanding pieces of the language that surrounded me. This made the transition easier for me as some of the other students in my study abroad group had no Arabic background and were overwhelmed by the culture and language that surrounded them.
With Host family in Tunisia
Since graduating in May, I accepted a job back in Tunisia as an English teacher giving me the opportunity to continue learning Arabic and to help others learn English. I am very excited for this adventure to begin and I am incredibly thankful to Professor Abbadi for her guidance and encouragement throughout my journey. She has truly made a lasting impression on my life and I would like to pass on the knowledge and support she has given me with others. Upon returning to the United States from my adventure, I am planning to work as a translator with refugees coming into the United States. Without taking that first class in 2013, I am confident in saying that I never would have had the opportunities I am presented with today and would not be preparing to move 4000 miles away from Chicago.