Local student chosen for Chinese program

Tyrone resident and Landmark Christian School sophomore Jacqueline Smith is one of only 24 students from across the nation selected to attend Furman University’s STARTALK Chinese immersion camp on a full scholarship – including tuition, room, board, and fees. Smith will attend the camp with fellow Landmark student Lauren Krotz.

The STARTALK Chinese immersion camp at Furman is a nationally funded program designed to encourage students to learn a language that is strategically important but not widely taught in the United States.

Smith and her classmate will stay on Furman’s campus for two weeks and will immerse themselves in Mandarin language study, conversation, and Chinese culture.

“It was an intense competition for the Chinese students across the nation, including a phone interview in Mandarin,” said Jane Chen, Mandarin teacher at Landmark. “Both of these two Landmark Mandarin students did an excellent job. Dr. Zhang, the person who interviewed them, was very impressed with their fluency and ability to understand the language despite the fact that they have less than two years of learning the language.”

For more information about Landmark Christian School and it’s foreign language offerings, visit www.landmarkchristianschool.org.