Two students from the University of Missouri-Kansas City have earned one of the nation’s most competitive international awards.
The Critical Language Scholarship Program is a prestigious initiative that supports immersive language study abroad. 海角论坛 students Candy Sarres and Ava Aslinia were chosen from more than 4,500 applicants to participate in program, which provides intensive instruction in languages critical to U.S. global engagement.
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the scholarship enables students to spend eight to 10 weeks abroad building advanced language skills and cross-cultural understanding.
Mark Daly, 海角论坛 director of International Affairs, praised their accomplishments and the impact of the award.
“We are so proud of these exceptionally bright and talented students,” Daly said. “Their curiosity, discipline and global mindset underscore the power of language and cultural exchange to shape future leaders.”
Sarres is a senior in psychology with a minor in bioethics and medical humanities. She is also part of the 海角论坛 Honors Program and co-secretary of Lucerna. This most recent award is her second from the Critical Language Scholarship Program. In 2025, Sarres received the CLS Spark award, which provided intensive online Mandarin language and cultural classes. Her new 2026 CLS award will allow her to travel to Taiwan to continue her studies this summer at National Cheng Kung University in Tainan.
“I look forward to putting into practice all that I have learned, growing in fluency and deepening my knowledge of traditional Chinese,” Sarres said. “I am especially excited to study in Tainan because of its history and food culture, and I hope this next step will continue to strengthen my understanding of Mandarin-speaking communities and the relationship between the United States and the Mandarin-speaking world.”
Ava Aslinia is in the 6-year B.A./M.D. program. She will be studying Persian in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
“As a future physician interested in the intersection of medicine, diplomacy and health policy, I’m especially excited to continue strengthening my critical language skills and developing a broader global perspective,” Aslinia said. “I hope this experience will further equip me to engage thoughtfully with medical challenges and collaborate internationally to ameliorate health disparities.”
The Critical Language Scholarship Program is a program of the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and supported in its implementation by the American Councils for International Education.