Introducing Claire Morris
Marhaba! (!مرحابة) My name is Claire Morris, and I am a junior at the University of Richmond in Virginia. I am currently studying Political Science and Arabic Studies, and I am hoping to also minor in Visual Arts! This semester, I will be studying Arabic and taking classes at Amideast in Amman, Jordan, and I am so excited!
I grew up in Richmond, Virginia, but have been lucky enough to travel all over the country and abroad. Thanks to my parents, I caught the travel and language bug early, and this semester will be my third time studying abroad.
The first time I studied abroad was right after graduating high school. I took a gap year and studied Arabic and Darija with a program called NSLI-Y (National Security Language Initiative for Youth) in Rabat, Morocco. I lived with an amazing host family and had such a wonderful experience with my language partner and teachers at Amideast. (I enjoyed it so much that I decided to major in Arabic once I got to college!)
In addition to Morocco, I also spent a summer studying Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia) with a program called CLS (Critical Language Scholarship). I lived in Malang, Java, and took language classes at the local university with a cohort of other American students. This experience only further fueled my interest in languages, particularly when you can truly immerse yourself in the host community.
This semester is my first time in Jordan. I decided to come here for my semester abroad because of my interest in the region and desire to learn the Jordanian dialect, Ammiya. (Don’t get me wrong, Darija will always be #1 in my heart, but I'm excited to learn another colloquial dialect!) There may or may not have also been some totally unbiased encouragement from my Arabic professor at school (who just happens to be Jordanian).
Another reason I chose to come to Amman is because of my background in Political Science. The classes here offer a unique opportunity to dive deep into the rich history and complex political and power dynamics that make up this region. I am particularly excited to start my Community-Based Learning class, where, in conjunction with class lectures and discussions, we spend time interning/volunteering with a local organization in Amman!
In my free time, I like to spend time outdoors and you can often find me hiking in the Appalachian Mountains or kayaking down the James River. I also really enjoy reading and doing all kinds of art. I've brought a sketchbook with me that I hope to fill by the end of the semester, and one of my first stops in Amman was at an art store to buy paint supplies. (My host mom shares my love of painting, so I hope to post about new projects soon!)
I've only been in Jordan for a week, and so far, it has been incredible. I can't wait to see what the next few months have in store!
Claire is a student at the University of Richmond, and studying abroad in Spring 2026 on Amideast’s Area and Arabic Language Study Program in Amman, Jordan.
