Nicholas Fegreus wants to work for the government and knows that being able to speak a foreign language would improve his chances.
但是哪种语言呢??
“我跟你说实话, 这有点难选,费格鲁斯说, who is majoring in political science with a minor in public service and will graduate from 最靠谱的网赌软件 this summer. “我在阿拉伯语、波斯语还是俄语之间纠结. I think what kind of steered me toward Russian was my interest in Western and European history in general, 我对它更熟悉了. So, I figured if I'm going to be involved within this specific region, 为什么不学一门我已经感兴趣的语言呢?"
That pursuit has netted him a prestigious Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) from the U.S. 国务院. 他将从华盛顿特区出发.C., 6月7日飞往比什凯克, 吉尔吉斯斯坦, where he will study for two months at the American University of Central Asia.
Fegreus是ODU第六个获得CLS学位的学生. 总共, Monarchs have claimed nine CLS awards; Daniel Shanks (2016, 2018年)和梅洛迪·贝恩斯(2007年), 2008, 2009年)多次获奖. ODU的CLS接收者的完整列表可在此获得 link.
CLS项目是美国学生暑期出国学习的机会.S. 大专及大学生. 根据它 网站在美国，它是美国军事基地的一部分.S. government effort to expand the number of Americans studying and mastering 15 critical foreign languages. Participants are expected to continue their language study beyond the scholarship period and apply their critical language skills in their professional careers.
今年, 大约4,代表50个州的500名学生, 哥伦比亚特区, 关岛和波多黎各提出了申请. 该项目的录取率约为10%, 今年的决赛选手来自583所院校.
"The CLS Program is highly competitive because the reward is so great. 全球参与中心 was delighted to assist Nicholas in his application and even more delighted that he won,保罗·科兰特说, 中心的高级国际官员. "I am sure he will learn a lot more about Eastern Europe than just the Russian language, and this will positively impact him for the rest of his life."
Fegreus credited the center and its former outreach coordinator, 沙龙Pitney, 在实现CLS方面发挥了关键作用. He explained that the application basically involves submitting narratives that describe your background with the language and what you plan to do with it.
"Ms. Pitney really helped me frame my narratives and how to make it personal to me. 诚实, I give her a lot of credit for what I believe helped me be successful and actually getting the scholarship,他说.
“和尼古拉斯一起工作很愉快，”皮特尼说. "It was evident from our first meeting that his dedication and level of discipline would serve him well. This scholarship is a wonderful opportunity to make huge strides in the study of Russian over the summer and will open doors to many new opportunities for Nicholas."
Fegreus, who moved from Detroit to South Hampton Roads when he was 13 and graduated from Deep Creek High School, took two semesters of Russian language classes at Tidewater 社区 College. 在TCC待了两年之后, he transferred to ODU and took two more semesters of Russian with Professor Maria Grise.
"She has done more than anyone to help me prepare for the program itself, 学习语言,费格鲁斯说.
Fegreus works full time as an engineering technician with the City of Norfolk's Department of Utilities, so having the scheduling flexibility that ODU's distance-learning program provides was important. 他在ODU大约有一半的课程是远程授课.
费格鲁斯曾到海外度假, but this will be the longest time he will spend away from home. He's looking forward not only to enhancing his Russian language skills, 还有在吉尔吉斯斯坦的经历.
"I know they do a lot of organizing cultural excursions after class, 参观一些当地的博物馆和旅游景点,他说. "I believe there's one bigger trip sometime toward the end of the program where you spend a night or two outside of the campus or with a host family wherever you're staying."
亚伦卡普, senior lecturer in ODU's Department of Political Science and Geography, 我觉得Fegreus是CLS的理想选择.
尼克的职业目标强调美国的公共服务, 作为公务员, 可能在外交或情报部门,卡普指出, 引用了他写的一封提名费格鲁斯为CLS成员的信. "He is directed specifically toward the kind of careers where his language studies will pay off most.
尼克的态度安静而谨慎. 但他的表演毫无拘束,卡普补充道。, 他有四节课都有费格鲁斯. “这是一个设定雄心勃勃的目标的人, 迅速满足他们, then responds by expanding his goals to embrace the next opportunity. 他对主要目标表现出顽强的专注."
Fegreus will start a master's program in security policy studies at George Washington University after graduating from ODU. He plans to talk with Grise's students about his CLS experience following his return to the U.S.
"When I reflect on some of the courses I've had and a lot of the things I've learned and some of the interests I've been able to realize while taking some of the courses - things I never really thought I would have an interest in - I definitely am thankful to ODU for all of those lessons,他说.
Information about applying for a Critical Language Scholarship can be found at this link.
