A story by Nina Begesh, a communications and administration professional and a holder of the Hungarian Diaspora Scholarship. Nina is of Hungarian origin on her father’s side and she has been living in Hungary since 2023. She strongly identifies with Hungarian culture, traditions, and values, and supports the mission of Hungarian communities across borders to preserve cultural identity and build meaningful connections within the global Hungarian network.

In the summer of 2025, I met Chessie at the Diaspora welcome event of the Balassi Summer University. She came from the United States and joined the program mostly out of curiosity.

Chessie always knew that her grandfather was Hungarian, but in her family this fact was never very important. No one spoke the language anymore, no traditions were kept, and no one had ever visited Hungary before. It was simply a small part of family history that stayed in the background for many years.

At some point, Chessie decided that she wanted to see Hungary with her own eyes. She did not have a clear plan or long-term goals connected to the country. She just wanted to visit, learn a little about the culture, and try the language her grandfather once spoke. That is why she chose the Balassi Summer University and its short Hungarian language program.

She started learning Hungarian from zero. Of course, it was not easy, but the atmosphere of the program helped a lot. After classes, there were many cultural activities, city walks, and events where students could learn about Hungarian traditions and everyday life. For Chessie, this was a big part of the experience and one of the reasons she enjoyed the program so much.

Hungary made a very good impression on her. She liked Budapest, the people, and the feeling of living in the city, even for a short time. During the program, she invited her family to join her, and soon her husband and daughters came to Budapest. They spent time together, walked around the city, and shared this experience as a family.

I do not know if Chessie will continue learning Hungarian or come back in the future. But I know that this summer was important for her. Maybe it was just a nice experience, or maybe it was the beginning of something more — a new interest, a new connection, or a story she will one day tell her daughters about their Hungarian roots.

Sometimes, even a short visit can mean more than we expect.

by Begesh Nina