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Honor student receives Critical Language Scholarship
[03.17.2014]

TAMPA, Fla. -- Hiram Rios, an Honors College junior double majoring in economics and international studies recently was awarded the Critical Language Scholarship to study intermediate-level Chinese in China for eight weeks this summer.

The Critical Language Scholarship award is fully funded by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The award also provides an orientation in Washington, D.C., in addition to language courses abroad during the summer of 2014.

Rios has won three national awards including the Boren and Gilman Scholarships, both of which supported his Chinese language study abroad program to Qingdao, China in the summer of 2013.

He is a USF Ambassador, a member of the Advisory Board for the Marshall Student Center and is the treasurer and Founding Father of Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity. In 2013, Rios became the first recipient of the USF Student Employee of the Year award.

Through the CLS program, Rios plans to continue to accumulate both cultural capital and a deeper understanding of the Chinese language. By collaborating with language students around the nation, he hopes to gain insight into the structure of other mandarin programs, study styles and learning materials.

Upon return, he believes that he will be equipped with a keen comprehension of Chinese etiquette, as well as with friendships and professional connections that will help him reach his career goal of serving as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer.

“Hiram has contributed enormously to the USF campus community as well as winning three national awards,” said Linda Lucas, Ph.D., director of the Office of National Scholarships, “We look for him to make significant contributions to solving global issues in his future.”

The Office of National Scholarships identifies, recruits and mentors high achieving students to apply for national merit scholarships across all disciplines. The scholarships and fellowships are for creative, motivated and academically strong students who are leaders in and out of the classroom.

The Critical Language Scholarship offers fully funded, group-based intensive language instruction and summer language institutes for U.S. university undergraduate and graduate students. Students may study any of 13 critical foreign languages for the summer term in locations where the language is natively spoken. The selection process is administered by the American Councils for International Education. Ohio State University/Ohio University oversees the program itself with awards approved by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Cultural Affairs.

-USF-

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