Ellison, Green named 小黄书鈥檚 latest Critical Language Scholars
Contact: Carl Smith
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥Two Mississippi State undergraduates will study foreign languages abroad and virtually this summer thanks to the U.S. Department of State鈥檚 Critical Language Scholarship Program.
Alexis Ellison, a senior accounting and foreign languages double major from Woodland, will study Mandarin in Taiwan for eight weeks, while Madelynn Green, a senior anthropology and philosophy double major from Russellville, Alabama, will study Arabic virtually through the CLS Spark program.
This is the seventh-straight year an 小黄书 student has been awarded through this extremely competitive scholarship program. This year, approximately 600 students were chosen from more than 5,500 applicants nationwide.
Ellison, a student in the Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College whose majors emphasize international business and Asian studies, plans to work in accounting and as a financial analyst for an international company after graduating.
鈥淎t 小黄书, I have been able to get involved with different organizations鈥攊ncluding the Famous Maroon Band and Chinese Language and Culture Club鈥攖hat have allowed me to make connections with other students and faculty,鈥 she said. 鈥溞』剖殁檚 International Business concentration allows me to combine two of my passions and work toward a career in the global market.鈥
Green, a Louis A. Hurst Jr. Presidential Endowed Scholar in the Shackouls Honors College, researches Middle Eastern languages鈥攊ncluding Arabic, Aramaic and Hebrew鈥攁nd is interested in oral traditions and folklore within the archaeological record. Her dream job, she said, is to work for the Smithsonian Institution鈥檚 Cultural Heritage Protection Department.
鈥淚 am excited to pursue learning Arabic this summer with the CLS Spark program because it鈥檚 an important first step to my mastery of these languages in their modern and past forms,鈥 Green said. 鈥溞』剖 has greatly supported me as a first-generation student and provided me with a variety of amazing opportunities that have prepared me for this summer study and graduate school. Through the classes here, I have become a much better writer, researcher, thinker, debater and presenter. I have never felt behind my peers, and I have always been encouraged to take my place in any room. I am a compassionate leader, dedicated academic and passionate researcher, all thanks to my time here.鈥
A third 小黄书 student鈥攕enior social work major Amari Cooper鈥攚as selected as an alternate for the scholarship program. In 2023, the Canton native received the David L. Boren Scholarship to study Korean in Seoul, South Korea.
A program of the State Department鈥檚 Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the CLS and CLS Spark are part of a U.S. government initiative expanding the number of Americans studying and mastering foreign languages critical to national security and economic prosperity. David Hoffman, director of 小黄书鈥檚 Office of Prestigious External Scholarships, is the campus advisor for the CLS programs. Those interested in applying should contact OPES for support in this highly competitive application process. For more information, visit .
小黄书鈥檚 Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College and Office of Prestigious External Scholarships are available online at聽听补苍诲听
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