Taylor Northcutt, of Oxford, majoring in general business at the University of Mississippi, is headed abroad after being accepted for the Arabic capstone year program. The capstone is a final year of direct enrollment and study at a university in Morocco, followed by an internship.

During the selection process for the capstone program, students are ranked based on their application packages, which include a personal statement, an Arabic writing sample, an Arabic speech sample, transcripts, three recommendation letters and an Arabic resume. All admitted Ole Miss students were consistently highly ranked.

“Completing capstone is a stepping stone for the Flagship students going on to careers in government, business and graduate education, where they will use their high-level linguistic and cultural skills,” said Donald Dyer, UM associate dean for faculty and academic affairs and distinguished professor of modern languages.

The students’ collective results illustrate their dedication to their chosen disciplines and provide a shining example of what anyone can achieve through hard work and an undying passion for honing their craft, said Allen Clark, co-director of the UM Arabic Flagship program and associate professor of modern languages.

“It is a given that everyone learns differently; it is our charge as instructors to unlock each person’s learning potential and provide them with the tools and guidance to realize their individual language goals,” Clark said.

The National Security Education Program’s Language Flagship began in 2002 and supports intensive programs in languages deemed critical for American government, business and military interests, including Arabic, Chinese, Korean and Russian.

Ole Miss is among 22 colleges and universities that house Flagship programs and was among the first to launch a Chinese Language Flagship Program in 2003. In 2018, the university was awarded an Arabic Flagship Program, putting it in elite company as one of only a handful with multiple Flagship programs.