In January, three Miami students were named as semi-finalists for the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program, an intensive overseas language and cultural immersion program for American students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities. We are excited to announce that seniors Mackenzie Holtz and Nancy Pellegrino have been offered the CLS as finalists, with sophomore Navkiran Chima selected as alternate.

Holtz, an honors student and student athlete, majors in International Studies and Comparative Religion. She chose Arabic as her critical language. 

Pellegrino, an Undergraduate Research Assistant majoring in Diplomacy & Global Politics, and Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies chose Russian as her critical language.

Due to the current health and safety situation, the majority of CLS institutes for summer 2021 will be offered as high-quality virtual programs, lasting eight to ten weeks.

It is particularly noteworthy that all three Miami semi-finalists were recognized. Chima (International Studies) is a Presidential Fellow and was recently named to the College of Arts & Science's Global Readiness Certificate (GRC) cohort. She will learn later this spring whether she will be joining the CLS program.

The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by American Councils for International Education. Part of a wider government initiative to expand the number of Americans studying and mastering foreign languages that are critical to national security and economic prosperity, CLS plays an important role in preparing students for the 21st century's globalized workforce and increasing national competitiveness.