Angela Arnold becomes first Millikin student to earn Critical Language Scholarship

James Millikin Scholar earns prestigious honor

Millikin University senior, Angela Arnold, an international business major with minors in music and French, has been named a recipient of the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Turkish Program through the U.S. Department of State making her the first student at Millikin to receive the prestigious honor.

The Critical Language Scholarship Program is a summer study abroad opportunity for American college and university students to learn languages essential to America's engagement with the world.

As part of her CLS Turkish program experience, Arnold will be attending Ankara University, TÖMER, in Ankara, Turkey, this summer where she will be studying Turkish for eight weeks. The program also offers weekly cultural activities and excursions, as well as opportunities to meet daily with a language partner (a local Turkish student or community member) to practice speaking.

"My initial reaction to learning I had received a Critical Language Scholarship was shock. This was my second year applying to the program and the process was a great reminder to persevere and have patience," Arnold said. "I am proud to represent Millikin as the first student to participate in one of the CLS Programs. Critical Language Scholarships offer opportunities to study languages less commonly taught in American universities, and I hope that in the future more Millikin students will consider applying to a CLS Program."

Angela Arnold

The CLS Program is part of a U.S. government effort to expand dramatically the number of Americans studying and mastering critical foreign languages. Participants are expected to continue their language study beyond the scholarship period, and later apply their critical language skills in their future professional careers. Each summer, CLS provides rigorous academic instruction in 15 languages that are critical to America's national security and economic prosperity.

A James Millikin Honors Scholar, Arnold, of Huntingtown, Md., will graduate from Millikin in spring 2022 and plans to attend graduate school. Her goal is to eventually become a foreign service officer within the State Department.

"I would be thrilled to attend a school with a Turkish language program to continue improving my language skills," Arnold said. "I hope to work for the U.S. Department of State and having a language background is a major benefit in that career field."

Dr. Laura Dean, associate professor of political science and chair of the Fulbright Committee at Millikin, has served as Arnold's advisor. "I am overjoyed that Angela was awarded a Critical Language Scholarship from the U.S. Department of State for the study of Turkish," Dean said. "As a CLS alum myself for Russian [2012], I know the value of immersive language and cultural programs like CLS. U.S. Department of State programs are the most competitive and coveted scholarships for international education in the United States and we are proud that Angela will represent Millikin University in this prestigious program."

Arnold added, "This experience will be a great opportunity to grow not only as a student but as a global citizen. Travel grants us with a deeper understanding of perspective and self-awareness within ourselves and others. I am grateful for the chance to travel to Turkey and network with 25 other young American scholars who are passionate about international education and are committed to studying foreign languages that are critical to our nation's security and prosperity."

Arnold recently served as an intern with the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs in Washington, D.C., which led to a shadowing experience in the U.S. Embassy Seoul and the American Center in Korea, where she was able to develop a variety of skills. Among her responsibilities during her internship, she ran a COVID-19 tracker for all Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation member economies and attended several seminars, which she then summarized for higher-ups in the organization.

Additionally, Arnold interned for the American Foreign Service Association in 2021 and is currently interning for the Peace Corps as Millikin's Campus Ambassador as well as EducationUSA where she serves as a virtual College Prep Club mentor to high-achieving youth in Kyrgyzstan who hope to study in the United States.

Between studying to complete her international business degree, along with minors in French and music, as well as a certificate in vocal performance, Arnold is a resident assistant for the Office of Campus Life's Global Experience Living Learning Community, a French tutor for the Department of Modern Languages and is an international student specialist for Millikin's Center for International Education.