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CAS student receives competitive scholarship[03.18.2015]
TAMPA, Fla. -- Shelby Thomas, an Honors College junior majoring in international business and international relations at the University of South Florida was awarded the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) to study Intermediate level Japanese in Hikone at the University of Shiga Prefecture 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. and language courses abroad during the summer of 2015.
Thomas is also a recipient of the Fulbright UK Summer Institute Program to Wales, where she studied at Aberystwyth, Cardiff and Bangor Universities, and conducted empirical and observational research on Welsh business practices. She is currently an independent contract consultant for Appen Buttler Hill where she reviews and rates social media content to support measurement of data relevance. She also has served as a public archeology intern for George Washington Foundation’s Ferry Farm and an office intern for the Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners. In addition, Thomas has served as a site leader for Bulls Service Breaks, spent the fall 2014 semester studying abroad at Kansai Gaidai University and is a recipient of USF’s College of Business’ 25 under 25 award.
Thomas believes that as the United States' interests in the Pacific Sphere become ever more important in this complex world, continuing to expand on the United States’ friendship with Japan is crucial for this reason. Through the CLS program, Thomas hopes to build on her Japanese language in the hopes that as a potential future foreign service officer, she can assist in maintaining and building the United States’ relationship with Japan through their people.
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 to study 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 and The Ohio State University/Ohio University with awards approved by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Cultural Affairs.
Filed under:Arts and Sciences Student Success CreditsAuthor:Lauren Chambers Contact:lschumac@honors.usf.edu