Andy Seo, ’27, and Abigail Gaughan, ’26, have won Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) awards from the U.S. Department of State to study one of a dozen languages either overseas or virtually during the summer of 2025.
“The Critical Language Scholarship is extremely competitive, and securing this award is a significant achievement,” said Terre Ryan, Ph.D., Loyola’s director of national fellowships. “Andy and Abigail are among a cohort of nearly 600 students who were selected from a pool of more than 5,500 applicants. Supplementing their Loyola education with these critical language skills will give them an uncommon advantage in their future careers.”
Seo, a marketing major, was selected for the CLS Program and will spend eight weeks studying Korean language and culture at Chonnam National University in Gwangju, South Korea, during the summer of 2025.
“Becoming a candidate for CLS has been incredibly exciting,” said Seo. “I feel blessed to have this opportunity and I look forward to immersing myself in the language and culture of my heritage. I love Korea and can’t wait to grow my language abilities so I can connect with peers throughout the program while developing lifelong experiences that I could potentially apply to my business career.”
Gaughan, a history major who is minoring in Asian studies and film studies, was selected for the CLS Spark program. CLS Spark offers an immersive virtual learning experience in one of five critical languages. Gaughan, who will study Japanese, is Loyola’s first CLS Spark scholar. 
“I am looking forward to the CLS program because it offers me access to a language course that is not currently offered at Loyola,” said Gaughan. “I am hoping to improve my comprehension of Japanese in order to begin referencing primary sources in the language, which will improve my ability to do meaningful research.”
Critical Language Scholarships are highly competitive opportunities open to undergraduate and graduate students, with more than 5,500 applicants competing for roughly 600 slots. The scholarships provide an intensive language and cultural immersion in a dozen less commonly taught languages that the State Department deems essential to America’s engagement with the world.
Learn more about national fellowships through Loyola’s National Fellowships Office.
If you are a member of the media and have questions about this story, please contact Liam Davis at wadavis@loyola.edu.
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