Emily Grenz, a senior double majoring in English education and history, and Erik Braaten, who graduated in December with a political science degree, have been awarded 2012 U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarships.
The scholarships provide full funding for participants to study at an intensive language institute for seven to 10 weeks this summer in one of 14 countries. Braaten will study Arabic in Oman, located in southwest Asia, and Grenz will study Turkish in Turkey.
Approximately 630 U.S. undergraduate and graduate students were selected for the scholarships. More than 5,200 students applied. Participants are expected to continue their language study beyond the scholarship and apply their critical language skills in their future professional careers.
The Critical Language Scholarship Program is part of a U.S. government effort to expand the number of Americans studying and mastering critical foreign languages. It is administered by the Council of American Overseas Research Centers and American Councils for International Education. For more information about the program, visit www.clscholarship.org.