Graduating student Dana Swanson ’15 has received a Critical Language Scholarship from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. CLS recipients spend seven to ten weeks in intensive language institutes as part of a U.S. government effort to expand the number of Americans mastering critical foreign languages. As one of approximately 550 U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to receive the scholarship, Swanson will spend eight weeks in Amman, Jordan studying Arabic.
“I came to Fordham Law to pursue a career in international human rights law,” said Swanson. “During my time here, I became very interested in refugee law and got involved with the Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project. That led to my interest in working in the Middle East.”
Swanson served as the Fordham chapter president of the Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project. IRAP organizes law students and attorneys to help Iraqi refugees navigate the rules and processes of resettlement in the United States.
“I applied to the Critical Language Scholarship because it offers an unparalleled opportunity to gain language skills quickly. I’m hopeful that after eight weeks in Amman, Jordan, I’ll be a bit closer to being able to speak to refugee clients in their native language.”