Erik Youngdahl

Hi! My name is Erik Youngdahl and I am dual majoring in Arabic and anthropology with a minor in future earth resiliency at the University of Arizona. I am learning Arabic because I am interested in understanding political and ecological developments in Iraq and Syria and an understanding of MSA as well as local dialects will be essential in this endeavor. I have been exposed to numerous cultures across the Middle East and North Africa through the Arabic Flagship Program and the funding provided by Flagship has enabled me to attend world-quality language immersion programs in Jordan and Morocco without worrying about any financial burden. I am unsure of what exactly I plan to do in the future, but I am certain that I will use the language knowledge and cultural competence I gained from this program to help people.