The U.S. Department of State has announced the semifinalists for its Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program, and six University of Tulsa students have been selected to proceed to the next round. They are first-year computer science student Adam Asad (Arabic Beginning), political science senior Lilah Jacobs (Chinese (Mandarin) Intermediate), psychology and computer science junior Brianna Marshall (Japanese Beginning), political science junior Sophia Rehman (Arabic Beginning), computer science and French sophomore Connor Sherrow (Korean Beginning) and computer simulation and gaming senior James Wong (Korean Beginning).
The CLS program provides instruction in Arabic, Chinese, Russian, and other languages that are essential to U.S. security, prosperity, and engagement with the world. The program partners with universities and nonprofits around the globe to provide student cohorts an opportunity to study the language and culture in a country/location where the target language is commonly spoken. CLS institutes cover approximately one academic year of university-level language coursework during an eight- to 10-week program.
“I decided to study Mandarin because I am interested in China and international affairs and know from my experience with Spanish that studying a foreign language opens the door to many opportunities,” said Jacobs, who was selected to take part in the online program last year. “I am very thankful for the professors and university staff for supporting students in their endeavors to pursue nationally competitive programs and scholarships.
“I especially want to give a huge shout out to Dr. (Terrie) Shipley, who has tirelessly supported me and many students and read my many application drafts,” she added, referring to UTulsa’s director of Nationally Competitive Scholarships.