Critical Language Scholarships Go to UA Students

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Three students at The University of Alabama have been selected to receive U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarships this summer.

The UA students include:

Christopher Scott, religious studies major from Dothan who will study Arabic

Rachel Hester, marketing major from Montgomery who will study Chinese, and

Leyla Amur, anthropology major from Madison who will study Turkish

The students will spend 7-10 weeks in intensive language institutes in the countries where the languages are spoken. The students are expected to continue their language study after the summer program.

The 2010 CLS program received almost 5,300 applications. Students throughout the U.S. from a variety of colleges, universities and academic areas were selected for scholarships.

The program was launched in 2006 to increase opportunities for American students to study critical-need languages overseas. It is part of a U.S. government effort to dramatically expand the number of Americans studying and mastering critical-need languages.

For more information about the CLS Program or the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, go to http://www.clscholarship.org and http://exchanges.state.gov.