The U.S. Department of State’s Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) program selected recent Anderson University graduate Kirsten Jenkins from a large pool of applicants to receive a scholarship aimed at helping American college students to gain important foreign language skills.
Jenkins, who graduated this past May after dual majoring in Homeland Security and Emergency Services and Criminal Justice, is one of approximately 500 American students across the United States to be selected from more than 5,000 applicants to study overseas or virtually during the summer of 2024. She is studying Russian in a virtual program that is an initiative within the CLS program, CLS Spark.
“I was apprehensive at first because I had zero experience with the Russian language, and the idea of learning it virtually was daunting. I am a hands-on learner and found that I retain information better using traditional methods of handwriting everything and tools such as physical flash cards. However, my fears were misled because my instructor, who is based in Moldova, is an amazing teacher and is very receptive to our individual needs,” Jenkins said. “The class sizes are small. There are four other students in my group, which allows more one-on-one interaction with the instructor. It has been very surprising how fast we are all picking up the language. It has been challenging but exciting at the same time. I would advise anyone interested in learning a new language to explore the CLS Spark program.”
The CLS Program is part of a U.S. government effort to increase the number of Americans studying critical foreign languages. CLS scholars gain language and cultural skills that enable them to contribute to U.S. economic competitiveness and national security. The program includes intensive language instruction and cultural enrichment experiences to promote rapid gains.
The CLS program, through its CLS Spark initiative, provides beginner-level virtual instruction in Arabic, Chinese and Russian for competitively selected U.S. undergraduate students. CLS scholars are encouraged to continue their language study beyond the program and apply their critical language skills in their future careers.
Recipients of the 2024 CLS awards come from all 50 U.S. states, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico and include students from more than 200 institutions of higher education, including public and private universities, community colleges, liberal arts colleges, military academies and minority-serving institutions.
The AU Center for Global Engagement
The Anderson University Center for Global Engagement assists students who are interested in applying for national scholarships such as the Critical Language Scholarship, Fulbright, Boren, Gilman, and Fund for Education Abroad. For additional information, please email international@andersonuniversity.edu.