Dold Announces Local U.S. Department of State’s Critical Language Scholars

WASHIGNTON, DC – U.S. Congressman Robert J. Dold (IL-10) announced that five students in Illinois’ Tenth Congressional District were selected to serve as U.S. Department of State’s Critical Language Scholars.

“I want to congratulate our local students for this impressive accomplishment,” said Dold. “Taking the initiative to master foreign languages is a difficult task, but it is critical for the success of our nation and will be extremely beneficial for the future.  The world is flatter than it ever has been, and these students should be proud of what they have accomplished and for preparing themselves for the future.”

10th District Critical Language Scholars:

·         Blake Harwood, Highland Park: Studied Arabic in Tunisia

·         Ashley Huff, Waukegan: Studied Turkish in Turkey

·         Geoffrey Levin, Wheeling: Studied Arabic in Morocco

·         Ethan Prizant, Deerfield: Studied Chinese in China

·         Lillian Prueher, Highland Park: Studied Chinese in China

The U.S. Department of State’s Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is an important component of the federal government’s coordinated effort to dramatically expand the number of Americans learning and mastering critical foreign languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Hindi, Turkish, and others. The program provides opportunities for U.S. undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students to participate in intensive beginning, intermediate, or advanced level overseas summer institutes, which are designed to increase language fluency and cultural competency.

###