Loretta Violante, a Macaulay Honors student at CCNY, is headed to Korea this summer on a Critical Language Scholarship from the U.S. government.
Loretta Violante of The City College of New York’s Macaulay Honors Program was already headed to Seoul in the fall to study printmaking and sculpture on a Therese Ralston Connor Award from CCNY’s art department. Now she’s won a Critical Language Scholarship from the federal government that will see her spend summer learning Korean in the port city of Busan.
The two awards mean that the studio art major will spend almost six months this year on the Korean peninsula earning credits while learning new skills and a new language. The scholarships cover all her expenses, including travel and accommodation.
“I think understanding the language will be important in understanding the art I am pursuing,” said the thrilled sophomore. “My primary passion is art and that’s what I want. I think I can learn a lot from another culture’s artwork.”
A resident of Croton-on-Hudson in Upstate New York, Violante is preparing for her initial two-month summer stint in Korea by taking beginner’s lessons in Manhattan.
About The Critical Language Scholarship Program
The CLS Program is an intensive overseas language and cultural immersion program for American students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities. The program includes intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences designed to promote rapid language gains.
CLS is part of a wider government initiative to expand the number of Americans studying and mastering foreign languages that are critical to national security and economic prosperity. CLS plays an important role in preparing students for the 21st century's globalized workforce and increasing national competitiveness.
CSL is a program of the United States Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. It is supported in its implementation by American Councils for International Education.
About The City College of New York
Since 1847, The City College of New York has provided a high quality and affordable education to generations of New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. CCNY embraces its role at the forefront of social change. It is ranked #1 by the Harvard-based Opportunity Insights out of 369 selective public colleges in the United States on the overall mobility index. This measure reflects both access and outcomes, representing the likelihood that a student at CCNY can move up two or more income quintiles. In addition, the Center for World University Rankings places CCNY in the top 1.2% of universities worldwide in terms of academic excellence. More than 16,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight professional schools and divisions, driven by significant funded research, creativity and scholarship. CCNY is as diverse, dynamic and visionary as New York City itself. View CCNY Media Kit.