Photo Caption: Top Row from Left - Jennifer Cischke (Arabic), Ashleigh Cleary (Chinese), Michael Dimeo (Chinese), Keightly Dudgeon (Arabic). Middle Row from Left - Danielle Earley (Chinese), Savannah Gillam (Arabic), Mary Morgan Green (Chinese), Allison Hohenstein (Chinese). Bottom Row from Left - Lucas Knight (Chinese), Deven Richardson (Japanese), Ryan Richardson (Chinese), Jacob Raymond (Chinese - Alternate), Tobias Stockler (Chinese - Alternate).  More photos.

A record eleven WKU students have been awarded U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarships that fully fund summer study in intensive language programs abroad. Two others have been named alternates and may be upgraded as additional funding becomes available. Several WKU students have been awarded Critical Language Scholarships every year since 2011, this year’s performance nearly doubles the previous record of six awardees in 2014.

WKU’s 2018 Critical Language Scholarship recipients are:

• Jennifer Cischke, a third-year international affairs, Spanish, and Arabic major of Mount Washington will study Arabic in Amman, Jordan.
• Ashleigh Cleary, a third-year student in the Chinese Flagship Program and international affairs major of Hebron, will study Mandarin in Suzhou, China.
• Michael Dimeo, a fourth-year advertising and Chinese major of Bowling Green, will study Mandarin in Xi’an, China.
• Keightley Dudgeon, a fourth-year Arabic major of Bowling Green, will study Arabic in Tangier, Morocco.
• Danielle Earley, a third-year student in the Chinese Flagship program and Asian religions and cultures and Chinese major of La Grange, will study Mandarin in Dalian, China.
• Savannah Gillam, a fourth-year biology and Arabic major of Bowling Green, will study Arabic in Ibri, Oman.
• Lucas Knight, a 2016 graduate of the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science, a second-year student in the Chinese Flagship Program and political science and international affairs major of Owensboro, will study Mandarin in Dalian, China.
• Mary Morgan Green, a third-year student in the Chinese Flagship Program and international business and Chinese major of Leeds, Alabama, is also a past recipient of the Critical Language Scholarship. She has declined her award this year to participate in a different intensive language program in Beijing, China.
• Allison Hohenstein, a second-year student in the Chinese Flagship Program and economics and Chinese major of Radcliff, will study Mandarin in Changchun, China.
• Deven Richardson, a third-year student majoring in political science and international affairs of Bowling Green. Richardson has declined the Critical Language Scholarship for Japanese to accept a placement in the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Summer Enrichment Program in Washington, DC this summer.
• Ryan Richardson, a second-year international affairs, Asian religions and cultures, Chinese, and political science major of Williamsburg, will study Mandarin in Changchun, China.

 WKU’s Critical Language Scholarship alternates are:

• Jacob Raymond, a second-year student in the Chinese Flagship Program and computer science major of Mount Juliet, Tennessee.
• Tobias Stockler, a fourth-year French and Chinese major of Glasgow.

Students sought guidance from Dr. Grimsley-Smith in the Office of Scholar Development in preparing their Critical Language Scholarship applications.

The Critical Language Scholarship Program is part of a U.S. government effort to dramatically expand the number of Americans studying and mastering critical foreign languages. Students of diverse disciplines and majors at undergraduate and graduate levels are encouraged to apply. Participants are expected to continue their language study beyond the scholarship period, and later apply their critical language skills in their future professional careers.

About the Office of Scholar Development: The Office of Scholar Development is committed to helping WKU students in all majors and degree programs develop the vision, experience and skills to be independent, engaged scholars. OSD welcomes the opportunity to work with students interested in nationally competitive scholarships.