Mark Haver was a student at Florida Southern College, studying political science and marine biology, when he decided to apply for the 2018 CLS Indonesian program. Mark came onto the program as an absolute beginner in Indonesian, but by the end he had the language skills to communicate about h…
Alumni Profile — April 21, 2021
After Laura Sanchez graduated from the University of Florida in 2017, she was unsure if she wanted to pursue a career in language and international politics, or ecology and conservation. While participating on the CLS Program in 2018, she was able to further explore her interests by signing up for …
Alumni Profile — April 20, 2021
Marcus Dunn is an alumnus of the 2011 CLS Korean program in Jeonju, South Korea. His summer on the CLS Program followed his final undergraduate year at the Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture, where he studied Fine and Studio Arts. He also holds a master’s degree in painting from…
Alumni Profile — November 24, 2020
“Although beginning my civil service career amidst a pandemic was a bit unusual, I’m grateful to be contributing my skills and knowledge to the U.S. government’s coronavirus response efforts.” Lauren, an alumna of the 2017 CLS Indonesian program, landed a position in early 2020 as a Stabilization …
Alumni Profile — September 21, 2020
Nilaya Knafo is an alumna of the 2017 CLS Arabic program in Amman, Jordan. A 2019 graduate of American University with a bachelor’s degree in international relations, Nilaya focused her studies on foreign policy in the Middle East and North Africa. She now works as a Senior Program Assistant at the…
Alumni Profile — July 09, 2020
Audrey Petersen made the decision to study Bangla after doing a public health research project on the incorporation of zinc in the treatment of diarrheal diseases for her nursing program at George Mason University. The research was primarily being studied by an organization headquartered in Banglad…
Alumni Profile — June 22, 2020
David Fields became interested in Korea when he learned of opportunities to teach English after earning his undergraduate degree. After teaching English in South Korea for two years, he began studying United States and East Asian relations at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and participated in…
Alumni Profile — June 15, 2020
Rhys Leahy’s journey with Russian and Persian languages started when she participated in the NSLI for Youth Russian Program in high school for a year. While engaging fully in the culture, she became proficient in the language. The program site, Kazan, Russia is a historically Turkic and Muslim regi…
Alumni Profile — June 08, 2020
“Language learning will always be a part of my life. I am so grateful for the doors that the CLS Program has opened for me .”Ezra Baker studied Economics and French at Ohio State University, and wanted to broaden his horizons to learn a more challenging and less commonly taught language. When he he…
Alumni Profile — June 01, 2020
“I cannot overstate the value of the CLS Program. It changed my life and what I have been able to do as a student and as a professional. I’m so excited for the waves that the CLS Program will continue to make in my life and the way CLS will continue to change the lives of American scholar…
Alumni Profile — May 25, 2020
A Program of the 
