Simmons Spotlight: Senior Madison Bisbee

Senior Madison Bisbee’s curiosity of other cultures comes to her naturally.

“My mom works in CIS (computer information systems) and business, and she works with people from all over the world,” Madison said. “I hear her on meetings a lot talking to people with all sorts of interesting accents.”

She credits these interactions with helping drive her interest to apply for the National Security Language Initiative for Youth, which is a student outreach program of the US State Department. Last year, Madison went through the rigorous application process to earn an invite to the program. The process included multiple essays and an intensive background check.

When the decisions came out, the initiative chose Madison to go through their intensive Russian language and culture program. The program ran from January to May, alongside Madison’s busy CAC schedule of classes, track meets and her club volleyball tournaments. The program included two sessions per week, which included a full slate of homework. During the group sessions, she reviewed the Russian language and met with Russian people to discuss what their culture is like.

The program even sent her ingredients to make traditional Russian food, and also included a gift of Russian nesting dolls, which are an identifiable part of Russian culture for many in the US.

The State Department offers the program with an emphasis on languages that the Department deems critically important. The languages offered through the program consist of Russian, Arabic, Korean, Hindi, Indonesian, Persian, Mandarin and Persian. Madison chose to apply for Russian because she wanted a more complete picture of the Russian culture.

“In America, we tend to have a stereotypical view of Russians based mostly on the political culture,” Madison said. “I wanted to see how the Russian people really are.”

Upon the completion of her program, Madison could choose to take part in a fully immersive experience and live with a host family in Russia; however, due to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, she decided not to take the trip.

After she graduates next semester, Madison will attend Arkansas State in Jonesboro and major in CIS with a minor in business, so her unique experience with the State Department will certainly be an important step in her future career.