Eli Hatcher, Jahleel Johnson and Sophia Rowan have been awarded the 2024 Critical Language Scholarship for intensive language study. Funded by the U.S. Department of State, the program allows American undergraduates and graduate students to spend eight to ten weeks abroad studying languages that are essential to U.S. national security and economic prosperity.
Through this immersive program, participants develop cultural competence and valuable language skills that are essential for building international connections. These three students represent the University of South Carolina's commitment to fostering globally minded scholars who can help tackle the world's most pressing issues.
Eli Hatcher is a first-year McNair scholar and South Carolina Honors College student majoring in computer science and mathematics. He will participate in the Critical Language Scholarship Spark program, an online summer language intensive, to learn Mandarin Chinese. Hatcher aspires to pursue either a career in the financial industry or in artificial intelligence research.
Jahleel Johnson graduated from USC in December 2023 with degrees in political science and German. Johnson earned the Congress Bundestag Young Professionals Program (CBYX) scholarship in 2022 and CLS for Turkish in 2023. He will continue his Turkish language studies at Ankara University this summer and plans to pursue a career in foreign affairs and domestic politics.
First-year Honors student Sophia Rowan is majoring in international business and finance and will travel to Kyrgyzstan this summer. She will spend eight weeks studying Russian and learning more about the Kyrgyz culture. In the future, Rowan hopes to continue her international exploration and utilize her Russian language skills in a business career.
First-year Capstone Scholar Bodie Daniel has been named an alternate for CLS Spark in Mandarin and is awaiting final results from that program.
National Fellowships and Scholar Programs provides support for Critical Language Scholarship applicants. Students interested in learning more should contact USC’s national fellowships team.