Nguenar - Interview
Hi everyone! So yesterday I had my interview (January 21st). It was held at a community center about three towns from mine, so it was close by. My interview was at 1:45, so I arrived there at about 1:20. When my Dad and I got out of the car, we saw a candidate and her Dad. We greeted them and I wished the candidate luck. When I went to open the door, it was locked. We were all so confused but then I saw a sign that said AFS pointing to another entrance, so we all climbed down a big hill to get there. When we got in, we saw a poster that said NSLI-Y with a dry erase board next to it. It told us where to go. Turns out that we had to go a room where a NSLI-Y alumni was answering questions. They were really helpful and made me feel more confident.
30 minutes passed, and it was 2:15. I was freaking out a bit because it was way pass 1:45. I thought I missed my interview, but then five interviewers came into the small room we were in. They briefly introduced themselves and gave us warm smiles. There were seven NSLI-Y and YES candidates in the room, and there were only five interviewers (which was a problem). Luckily, they said that they would interview the first five people that came in. I was the 3rd to come in along with the candidate I met. We all followed the interviewers to a big room, which had six tables. Each interviewer and interviewee were assigned to a table. I was with an older woman, who was really nice (also, her eyes were so beautiful). She asked me various questions and I answered them to the best of my ability. She also shared some stories she had with me and I told her some of mine. They were all so interesting. I actually found out that there were some exchange students at my high school through her. She also told me that the candidate I met before the interview went to my school, which made me really surprised! When she was done asking me questions, she ended by saying that she really enjoyed being my interviewer and that I was adorable (when she said that I pretty much cried on the inside because it was so sweet). I shook her hand and thanked her for interviewing me. I proceeded to walk out of the big room and went to join my Dad. I spoke to a Chinese summer applicant and we talked about our interviews. I said bye to her and said bye to the alumni who was answering questions.
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Honestly, the interview was really fun! I love speaking to other people a lot, which helped me a lot. A tip I have for the interview is to showcase your personality and passion as much as possible. I kept the interview serious yet lighthearted. Also, be sure to take your experiences and use them as a piece between you and your passion for the language you are doing. I used the questions she asked me to tell stories about me and how they connect back to my answer.
Also, don’t stress too much about the interview! I wasn’t really nervous at all because I still couldn’t believe that I was a semi-finalist (I kept pinching myself, but it didn’t work). Just be confident in yourself and in your answers! :)
-Nguenar