Do you remember where you were when you found out you had received the scholarship? If so, where? Tell us the story! <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nI was studying abroad in Uruguay when I found out. I opened the email in my apartment when I got home from class that day. I was excited to see that I was accepted, but this was in March, so there was a lot of uncertainty at the time due the unfolding circumstances of the pandemic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Did you travel for\/because of this scholarship? If so, where? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nDue to the pandemic, the travel portion of the program was canceled, and CLS hosted a virtual institute instead. I was supposed to travel to Tainan, Taiwan to study Mandarin Chinese, but I ended up taking the course online while I was living in Montevideo, Uruguay. I guess you could say there was a \u201ctravel\u201d component to my CLS experience because I was abroad during the program, but when I walked out my door, I heard Spanish, not Chinese. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
What was your favorite aspect of the scholarship experience?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nMy favorite aspect of the scholarship experience was engaging with my classmates. CLS is a competitive program, so the caliber of people you meet is generally pretty high. 95% of engagement takes place in the target language, so the challenge is getting to know each other without using English. Part of the CLS program also includes being connected with a local language partner. We weren\u2019t able to meet in person, but over the course of the program I was able to develop a unique friendship with my language partner, a college student from Taiwan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Did receiving this scholarship affect your future academic and\/or career goals? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nReceiving this scholarship likely will affect my career goals. Speaking foreign languages is an ever more sought-after skill in the field of international affairs, in which I aspire to work. I can\u2019t predict whether or not speaking Chinese will be a central component of my career or future job description, but it will certainly help to open doors and shine a new light on various international issues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
What advice do you have for others who may be interested in applying for this scholarship? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nJust apply. Be creative in painting a picture of how the critical language you pick aligns with your academic\/professional history\/trajectory, and be clear and nuanced about how your participation furthers your academic\/professional purposes, the purposes of the program, and American interests more broadly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
— Noah Falkner, International Security and Foreign Policy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Scholarships are a huge deal. They take time to prepare, courage to enter, and often open up a variety of opportunities to continue pursuing one’s goals and dreams. 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