Arabic Student Selected for Prestigious CASA Program

Avery Antill, selected as a CASA Fellow, will study in Morocco for nine months starting in August 2024.

Avery Antill, an Arabic and Middle East studies major, has been selected for the highly competitive Center for Arabic Study Abroad program. Antill will spend nine months studying advanced Arabic language and culture at the Arab American Language Institute in Meknes, Morocco.

This prestigious fellowship is a remarkable opportunity for Antill to immerse in North African Arab culture and hone her Arabic skills. The CASA fellowship covers tuition, round-trip airfare, a monthly stipend, program-related tours and subsidized trips to historical sites.

“It is an honor to be selected as a CASA Fellow this year, and I hope to use this opportunity to refine my Arabic skills and learn more about the North African Arab culture and people,” Antill shared. Her departure date is set for Aug. 23.

Antill, a transfer student who began her studies at the U of A in fall 2023, is expected to graduate in spring 2025. She has already distinguished herself as a recipient of the WLLC Undergraduate Internship Award in spring 2024 and was awarded the Middle East Studies Undergraduate Scholarship for the 2024-25 academic year, valued at $10,000.

The CASA program, established in 1967, has a rich history of training American students in advanced Arabic language and culture. With primary funding from the U.S. Department of Education’s Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Program and support from donors, CASA has trained over 1,700 students who have gone on to influential careers in academia, the U.S. State Department and the private sector.

For more information on the CASA program and its application process, please visit the CASA website.

We congratulate Avery Antill on this incredible achievement and look forward to following her journey in Morocco.

ألف مبروك, “Congrats!”

For more information about the Arabic Program, visit arabic.uark.edu and find the Middle East Studies Program on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

Introductory courses in Arabic language and culture are offered fall and spring. Register today! You belong in Arabic.

This story also appeared in the University of Arkansas News publication.