Seniors Joseph London and Brianna Tennes will study abroad this summer as part of the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program, a language-based scholarship program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.
Tennes, an international economics and Spanish major from Charlotte, Michigan, will study Portuguese.
鈥淭his opportunity is particularly meaningful; three years ago, I traveled to Brazil for the first time through Project Global Officer, and I have been driven by the desire to return ever since,鈥� Tennes said. 鈥淚 am looking forward to continuing my study of Portuguese while further developing my cross-cultural understanding to support my future military career.鈥�
London, a theology and physics double major from Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, will study Swahili.
鈥淭hrough CLS, I鈥檒l advance my language skills and build a bridge between East Africa and the United States in my own career,鈥� London said. 鈥淚鈥檓 grateful to the mentors who have helped me grow toward this goal at Notre Dame, including Professors and , of , and of the , , Professor of the , and the incredible advisers at Flatley CUSE 鈥� Mathilda Nassar, Elise Rudt and Emily Hunt.鈥�
罢丑别听assists Notre Dame undergraduates with scholarly discernment and pursuits, including research and fellowships.
鈥淚 am so happy that Brianna and Joseph will get to have this unique experience and add to their academic trajectories,鈥� said Mathilda Nassar, assistant director of national fellowships at CUSE. 鈥淭hey worked hard and are deeply committed to learning their target language. If anyone is interested in applying next year, I begin the application process in September.鈥�
The Critical Language Scholarship Program is an intensive overseas language and cultural immersion program for American students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities. Students spend eight to 10 weeks abroad studying one of nine critical languages. The program includes intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences designed to promote rapid language gains.
This year鈥檚 cohort of approximately 315 scholars was selected from a pool of more than 4,500 applicants. The winners hail from 49 U.S. states as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. More than 160 colleges and universities are represented.
For more on this and other scholarship opportunities, visit .