Record Number of UH Students Named CLS Awardees
By Daniel Wallace
June 4, 2020
A record number of University of Houston students were recognized as Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) honorees during the 2019-2020 academic year. Five outstanding candidates were named awardees, which is the most in school history. Ben Rayder, director of the Office of Undergraduate Research and Major Awards, notes that this accomplishment places UH among elite company nationally. “UH ranks among the top group of schools with CLS finalists, including Georgetown, the University of Chicago, the University of California, Berkley, and our peers in Austin. This year’s record total is a testament to the quality of our students, as well as faculty from across the University of Houston who support our candidates. It is a real team effort.”
Although the 2020 Critical Language Scholarship program was suspended, it remains an honor for UH students to be named awardees. "CLS was the first major award I applied for after transferring to UH”, writes Nimra Zubair who is UH’s first awardee for Punjabi. “The application process helped me develop writing skills while learning about the world around me. Becoming a CLS honoree has been an educational journey for me, both academically and personally."
The CLS program is an intensive, overseas language and cultural immersion program for American students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, CLS is part of a wider, government initiative to increase the number of Americans studying foreign languages that are critical to national security and economic prosperity. The scholarship offers instruction in 15 critical languages during its fully-funded summer programs.
The following UH students are honorees for the 2020 Critical Language Scholarship.
Stephanie Fose (Azerbaijani) is a chemical engineering major in the Cullen College of Engineering who will be
graduating this spring. Fose is actively involved in the Society of Women Engineers
and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, connecting her with a network of
professionals who impact global energy-related issues. She hopes to enter the energy
industry after graduation to help meet the increasing global demand for energy and
maintain strong relations with strategic international partners, like Azerbaijan.
Jessica Haney (Japanese) is and a member of the Honors College and is a junior in the College of Liberal Arts
& Social Sciences, majoring in applied linguistics and minoring in history. She has
taken Japanese classes at UH through the intermediate level and is a member of the
Japanese Conversation Club on campus. Haney has always been fascinated by studying
other languages, cultures, and people groups and hopes that, by learning other languages,
she can promote cross-cultural understanding and multilingualism in Houston.
Hamad Khan (Arabic) is a management and leadership major in the Bauer College of Business with double
minors in public relations and Arab studies. Fascinated by Middle Eastern culture
and history, Khan began studying Arabic at the University of Houston. Hamad also joined
the Arabic Club, an organization in which members expand their knowledge of the Middle
East and North Africa (MENA) region’s language, culture, and history. During the summer
of 2019, Khan studied abroad in Amman, Jordan with the assistance of the Benjamin
A. Gilman International Scholarship. He later studied abroad in Tunisia to enhance
his knowledge of Ancient civilizations and Arab uprisings in the North African region.
Currently, Khan is a global guide with Learning Abroad at UH and helps mentor and
advise students about the various opportunities studying abroad can provide.
Kaden Lewis (Arabic) is a sophomore studying political science in the College of Liberal Arts and Social
Sciences and a member of the Honors College. As a former undergraduate at-large Senator
for the University’s Student Government Association, and as a current executive board
member of the Black Pre-Law Student Association, Lewis has been very active during
his time on campus. Following graduation, he plans to attend graduate school and obtain
his juris prudence. He applied for the CLS Arabic program to enhance his language
skills for a future career in the field of international relations, and human rights
work.
Nimra Zubair (Punjabi) is a political science major in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, who
is minoring in Phronêsis in the Honors College and business administration in the Bauer College of Business
with a certificate of entrepreneurship. As an immigrant student, she began her undergraduate
career at Houston Community College where she studied accounting and finance. Upon
transferring to the Honors College at UH in 2018, Zubair realized her interest in
government agencies and began to pursue a new career path. She has interned in various
industries and speaks four languages. Zubair hopes to pursue a dual juris doctorate/master
of public administration degree after completing her bachelor's, so that she may work
with marginalized populations in helping them integrate into contemporary societies.
Critical Language Scholarship applications will open again in September 2020. Students
who are interested in applying should contact Ben Rayder at btrayder@central.uh.edu in the Office of Undergraduate Research and Major Awards.