Elianna Fitzpatrick '23 of Germansville Receives a CLS Spark Scholarship

Annville, PA (04/26/2023) — Elianna Fitzpatrick '23, a global studies, Spanish, and international business triple major, earned a prestigious CLS (Critical Language Scolarship) Spark Scholarship to study Mandarin. CSL Spark is a virtual initiative for U.S. undergraduates to learn languages essential to America's engagement with the world.

From the CLS Website

Designed to leverage best practices in online language learning developed by the CLS Program during the pandemic, CLS Spark provides American students the opportunity to study critical languages virtually when they may not have access to studying these languages on their campuses. Participants will spend the summer learning either Arabic, Chinese or Russian through online classes and activities facilitated by native speakers at a host institution abroad.

A program of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program and CLS Spark are part of a U.S. government initiative to expand the number of Americans studying and mastering foreign languages that are critical to national security and economic prosperity.

About Lebanon Valley College

Lebanon Valley College, founded in 1866, offers bachelor's degrees in more than 50 majors; master's degrees in accounting (MBA 3+1), applied kinesiology, athletic training, business administration, clinical exercise physiology, clinical mental health counseling, education, intelligence and security studies, music education, school counseling, science in STEM education, speech-language pathology, and sport performance; a doctoral degree in physical therapy; ACT 48 continuing education for educator credits; and certificates in comprehensive curriculum & assessment for PreK-12, healthcare management, integrative STEM education, leadership & ethics, marketing, modern band, online teaching & learning, project management, social, emotional, & behavioral wellness, sport enhancement, supply chain management & logistics, and trauma-informed counseling. Located eight miles from Hershey, Pennsylvania, this college of 1,600 undergraduate and 400+ graduate students produces alumni who attend prestigious graduate and professional schools and are employed by top companies and school districts.

Thirty-one percent of our students are first generation (40% of first-year class), 21% of fall 2022 first-year students were Pell-eligible, and 100% of the fall 2021 incoming class received grant or scholarship aid from LVC. More than 35% of our students participate on our 27 NCAA Division III athletic teams or eSports teams, and, our students volunteer more than 20,000 hours of community service during the academic year.