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Student earns State Department scholarship

By Mara Kumagai Fink '11
May 3, 2010

Christian Van den Akker '11 began studying Russian at St. Olaf because he says he found the exotic nature of the country and language enticing. This summer he will get to experience that culture firsthand as the recipient of a U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship.

Van den Akker, one of 575 recipients selected from a pool of nearly 5,300 applicants, will spend the summer in Russia participating in an intensive language program along with cultural immersion activities. He hopes to use his language skills in the future as part of his career. "I am considering becoming a Russian language instructor, although there are so many different areas in which knowledge of a foreign language can be applied," he says. "In any case, I find the Russian language fascinating and I wish to apply it to whatever profession I pursue."

Contact David Gonnerman at 507-786-3315 or gonnermd@stolaf.edu.