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UB students Anna Givens and Fiona Serrano have received prestigious scholarships from the Critical Language Scholarship Program (CLS) for summer 2025.

The CLS, a program of the U.S. Department of State, is a fully funded program for American undergraduate and graduate students that offers immersive instruction in 13 different languages considered critical to the U.S.’s global engagement. CLS programs cover the equivalent of a full year of language study in eight weeks and offer both virtual and in-country instruction options.

“The Critical Language Scholarship is a transformative opportunity that empowers students to immerse themselves in new cultures and languages, broadening their global perspectives and enhancing their academic and professional growth,” says Megan Stewart, director of fellowships and scholarships. “We are incredibly proud of Fiona Serrano and Anna Givens for earning this prestigious award. Their dedication to language learning and cultural exchange exemplifies the spirit of excellence and curiosity that defines our UB community."

The CLS program was established in 2006 to broaden the base of Americans studying and mastering critical languages and building relationships between the people of the U.S. and other countries. CLS provides opportunities to a diverse range of students from across the country at every level of language learning.

The recipients:

Buffalo resident Anna Givens is a second-year PhD student studying anthropology. She will travel to Kyrgyzstan to study Russian through the CLS.

“Fieldwork is at the heart of anthropology,” Givens says. “You immerse yourself in a community, build relationships, conduct interviews and engage in daily life. Being able to speak the language fluently is absolutely essential for that kind of work.”

Givens chose Russian because it is widely spoken in the region where she plans to conduct her dissertation research.

“Many people in Kyrgyzstan still speak Russian due to the area’s historical ties to the Soviet Union,” she explains. “The CLS program provides a unique chance to sharpen my language skills in a setting that mirrors where I’ll be working.”

Beyond academics, Givens values the personal connections that immersive programs like CLS foster.

“I studied abroad in Latvia as an undergrad, and I still keep in touch with my host family and classmates,” she says. “These kinds of programs really allow you to form deep and lasting relationships because you’re navigating new experiences together.”

Looking ahead, she hopes to use her language skills to help shift scholarly discourse in post-Soviet studies.

Shirley, N.Y., resident Fiona Serrano is a senior majoring in English, global gender studies and history, with a minor in Jewish studies. This summer, she will travel to Latvia to study Russian through the CLS. Serrano sees the program as a crucial step toward her goal of becoming a professor specializing in Soviet, Eastern European and Russian history. She will join UCLA's history PhD program.

“I’ve always loved Russian history and literature, and I’ve wanted to learn the language so I could read the original texts,” Serrano says. “Having strong language skills in Russian will help me access and understand primary sources and give me a head start on my research.”

Her planned graduate research will examine how experiences with abortion in the Soviet Union were shaped by factors like gender, class and ethnicity — work that relies heavily on untranslated Russian-language materials.

“Russian doesn’t always translate well into English,” Serrano says. “Knowing the language helps me connect more deeply with the culture I’m studying.”

Serrano has already completed an intensive Russian immersion program and is excited to build on that experience.

“A few of my friends from my last program also got into CLS, and we’ll all be in Latvia together,” she says. “Plus, I’ve never been out of the country before, so just getting to visit a new place and experience a new culture is incredibly exciting.”

To learn more about the CLS Program and application process, contact the Office of Fellowships and Scholarships.