Ellison, Green named 51³Ō¹Ļās latest Critical Language Scholars
Contact: Carl Smith
STARKVILLE, Miss.āTwo Mississippi State undergraduates will study foreign languages abroad and virtually this summer thanks to the U.S. Department of Stateās 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 51³Ō¹Ļ 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.
āAt 51³Ō¹Ļ, I have been able to get involved with different organizationsāincluding the Famous Maroon Band and Chinese Language and Culture Clubāthat have allowed me to make connections with other students and faculty,ā she said. ā51³Ō¹Ļās International Business concentration allows me to combine two of my passions and work toward a career in the global market.ā
Green, a Louis A. Hurst Jr. Presidential Endowed Scholar in the Shackouls Honors College, researches Middle Eastern languagesāincluding Arabic, Aramaic and Hebrewāand is interested in oral traditions and folklore within the archaeological record. Her dream job, she said, is to work for the Smithsonian Institutionās Cultural Heritage Protection Department.
āI am excited to pursue learning Arabic this summer with the CLS Spark program because itās an important first step to my mastery of these languages in their modern and past forms,ā Green said. ā51³Ō¹Ļ 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.ā
A third 51³Ō¹Ļ studentāsenior social work major Amari Cooperāwas 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 Departmentās 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 51³Ō¹Ļās 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 .
51³Ō¹Ļās Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College and Office of Prestigious External Scholarships are available online atĀ Ģż²¹²Ō»åĢż
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