Ball State University sophomore Scott Webster of Fishers has been awarded a Critical Language Scholarship (CLS), which will provide two months of intensive language study this summer.
Webster
Webster is enrolled in the Honors College. He is majoring in Economics and Finance with a minor in Accounting. His language study and cultural immersion in Turkey this year will build upon his previous experiences in this country. He spent time in Turkey last summer as a Critical Language Scholar.
“The Critical Language Scholarship will help me build language and cultural skills that can later be applied to my professional career,” Webster said. He said he also plans to pursue a career with the U.S. State Department or other government agency.
Webster is among the latest of 10 Ball State awardees of Critical Language Scholarships over the past 15 years.
An initiative within the U.S. State Department, CLS is an intensive overseas language and cultural immersion program for American students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities. Critical Language Scholars spend eight to 10 weeks abroad studying one of 14 critical languages, with intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences designed to promote rapid language gains.
This scholarship program is part of a broader U.S. government effort to significantly boost the number of Americans studying and mastering foreign languages that are crucial to national security and economic prosperity. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students nationwide applied for the scholarship this year.