Kahiwa Sachs

Kahiwa Sachs participated in the 2024 CLS Arabic Program hosted by Noor Majan Daaris Institute in Nizwa, Oman. She recently graduated with a BA in international relations and an Arabic minor from the University of Iowa. Kahiwa plans to pursue a master’s degree in urban and regional planning and hopes to work in that field in an Arabic-speaking country.  

Why Arabic? 

I studied Arabic because I wanted to try a language that no one in my family could speak. I fell in love with Arabic during my first semester of university, because of how beautiful the language is to write and because all of the history and knowledge of Arab culture that comes along with learning the language.   

A Favorite Word  

My favorite word in the Arabic language is jamilla or gamilla which means beautiful.   

Career Goals 

Following CLS, I began taking CLS Refresh classes with my professors from Oman. I loved being able to continue learning Arabic, especially having one-on-one conversations with my professor about my daily life. One of my goals is to live and work in an Arabic-speaking country after obtaining my master's degree, so communicating in Arabic, both casually and professionally, will be critical.   

CLS’s Impact 

My time in Oman confirmed and strengthened my ambition to live and work in another country. CLS gave me the cultural experience to feel comfortable speaking Arabic to native speakers. I am currently working for a software company with the possibility of working with international clients, where I hope to apply my skills obtained through CLS.