亚洲AV

“It was my first time in a Muslim country, so I wasn't used to hearing the call to prayer,” Claudia Herrero Rapagna said. “From the top of the Citadel, you could hear the sound of the various calls to prayer from all around the city reverberating and syncing with each other. It was a special moment because I was witnessing something that was so common for the Jordanian people but so foreign to me. I remember just looking over the city in awe and feeling very grateful to have the chance to experience it.”

Herrero Rapagna has always had a passion for experiencing new places. Originally from Puerto Rico, she came to 亚洲AV and, following her graduation in 2022, has spent the past three years traveling, learning and teaching through opportunities such as the U.S. State Department’s prestigious Critical Language Scholarship and the Fulbright Program’s English Teaching Assistantship.

Through these programs, Herrero Rapagna has studied Arabic language and culture. She is currently working at the Collateral Repair Project, a nonprofit organization where she teaches English to children and adults.

Herrero Rapagna began studying Arabic while enrolled in Gannon’s public service and global affairs program. She said she initially chose Arabic to fulfill her language requirement but quickly developed a passion for it.

“This one choice broadened my academic trajectory and professional paths in ways I never expected,” she said. “This choice is still impacting my personal and professional life today, as seen with my work in Jordan.”

She went on to earn a master’s degree in Middle East studies from the University of Washington in 2024. Bookending that degree, she studied in Amman, Jordan, after graduating from Gannon, and in Nizwa, Oman, following her graduation from the University of Washington, both as part of the Critical Language Scholarship program.

The scholarship is a two-month intensive focused on one of 12 critical languages identified as important to U.S. national security, offering instruction in language, culture and politics.

Herrero Rapagna said her motivation to participate in these programs began with the exposure she received at Gannon and has grown through her deepening interest in language, culture and teaching.

“I love teaching — it's a vocation for me,” she said. “I still plan to continue teaching in the future.”

She encouraged other students to explore language exchange programs.

“It's scary to become immersed in an unknown culture, but it opens your mind to discover things you never thought were possible or even existed,” she said. “Not only did my advisors and professors at Gannon help me tailor my applications, they also encouraged me to apply and take the step. Learning a new language is not easy, but it is an extremely rewarding endeavor that stays with you for the rest of your life.”