Midn. 2/C Steven Yee stands at the ancient city of Petra in Jordan. Yee spent the fall 2009 semester studying Arabic and engineering at the University of Jordan in Amman, Jordan and traveling around the region. Photo Courtesy of Midn. 2/C Steven Yee.

Midn. 2⁄C Steven Yee’s focus while attending the University of Jordan in Amman was to increase his knowledge of the Arabic language. He also attended engineering courses, engaged in the Jordanian community in which he lived and found every opportunity to immerse himself in the culture of a foreign country.

‘‘While I didn’t have the advantage of a Jordanian roommate or host family, being the only midshipman and one of only two Americans in my class forced me to engage those from other cultures,” said Yee. ‘‘My classmates came from countries as distant as the United Kingdom, Turkey and Korea. Learning Arabic alongside students who did not share my native language broadened my perspective on the world.”

As an electrical engineering major, Yee’s course of study was divided between the university’s Language Center and its Faculty of Engineering. At the Language Center, he received extensive one-on-one Arabic tutoring in addition to fifteen hours of Arabic language lecture each week.

His engineering courses at the Faculty of Engineering provided insight into technical education in Jordan and an opportunity to be surrounded by Arab students fully matriculated at the University of Jordan. The textbooks and other documents were all written in English, but class lectures were held in Arabic.

‘‘Being able to perform in a technical course taught in a language other than my native one was a significant step in my language skill development,” said Yee. ‘‘As a result of my experience at the University of Jordan, I have also come to appreciate the vast educational resources available to American students and midshipmen at the Naval Academy in particular.”

Yee found that spending time with his primary language partner, a Palestinian whose family live in Saudi Arabia, further enhanced his perspective on university life in Jordan.

‘‘We complemented each other well, as he was a third-year mechatronics engineering student with an interest in languages. We were able to help each other not only in our respective native languages, but also in technical fields and other languages that piqued our interest,” said Yee. ‘‘Most importantly, he became a close friend and allowed me to practice my Arabic in meaningful day-to-day conversations in both work and leisure environments.”

Yee’s cultural experience in Jordan was not limited to university life. As a member of the Naval Academy’s Glee Club, he sought an outlet for musical expression in Amman’s YWCA co-ed choir, which was composed of international students, foreigners working in Amman and local Jordanians.

He also became involved with the English-speaking Amman International Church whose congregation included Jordanians and foreigners from all over the world. The pastor was a retired U.S. Air Force officer. Through the church, Yee was able to meet more foreigners living in Jordan for extended periods, including embassy workers, volunteers in humanitarian programs for Iraqis and an ambassador from Taiwan

‘‘Together, my experiences in the YWCA choir and the Amman International Church gave me insight into the Christian community in Jordan, and I found that I grew both spiritually and culturally in a society where my religion was not the predominant one,” said Yee.

Traveling became one of the most important aspects of Yee’s semester abroad. He visited numerous archaeological and natural attractions within Jordan such as Petra, the Dead Sea, Aqaba, Azraq, and Wadi Rum, but also had the opportunity to travel outside the country to Turkey and Israel.

‘‘My semester in Jordan was an unforgettable period of development. The Middle East will be an area of interest for the United States for a long time to come, and I was blessed to have such a close up experience with its people,” said Yee. ‘‘I acquired not only Arabic language skills but also an appreciation for a number of different cultures and a degree of patience, all of which will serve me well in my future career.”