Three VCU Students Named Critical Language Scholars

By Tom Gresham

Three Virginia Commonwealth University students have been awarded Critical Language Scholarships to receive intensive foreign language instruction abroad this summer.

Caitlin Canney of Medford, Mass., and Ben Nelson of Richmond will study Arabic at the American Center of Oriental Research in Amman, while Kerim Rached of McLean, Va., will study Turkish at the TÖMER Institute in Ankara, Turkey. The students will be enrolled in nine-week language immersion programs and will receive a minimum of 20 hours per week of formal classroom instruction.

Canney, who graduated from Arlington Catholic High School, is a member of the VCU Honors College pursuing a dual degree in foreign language, with a concentration in French, and political science, with a concentration in international relations and a minor in psychology.

Nelson, who graduated from Douglas Freeman High School, is pursuing a degree in political science. Rached, who graduated from Langley High School, is pursuing a degree in international relations. Each is scheduled to graduate during the 2010-11 academic year.

“The Critical Language Scholarships are highly competitive scholarships that attract top students – both graduate and undergraduate students – from around the country,” said Jeff Wing, national scholarship coordinator in the Honors College at VCU. “Ben, Caitlin and Kerim now have an exciting opportunity to accelerate the improvement of their language skills in environments dedicated to that pursuit.”

The Critical Language Scholarship provides funding for American students to spend the summer studying the languages and cultures of countries not frequently studied in the United States. Applicants are selected, in part, for their interests in regions of the world deemed essential to U.S. national security. The scholarships are sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

This year’s honorees applied for the Critical Language Scholarship through the VCU Honors College’s National Scholarship Office, which assists VCU students and alumni who wish to compete for prestigious national and international scholarships.