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University of North Georgia (Â鶹ÊÓƵ) students Elizabeth Hoyer and Bailey Pieplow dream of working for the FBI one day. Hoyer wants to be a profiler, and Pieplow aspires to become a linguist.

Both women know they need an advantage over other job applicants. One possible edge is proficiency in a critical language while another is a study abroad program.

Hoyer and Pieplow are on their way to securing both advantages as they are among six Â鶹ÊÓƵ students selected as (CLS) semifinalists.

"This came as a surprise," said Pieplow, a senior pursuing degrees in Spanish and modern languages with a Chinese language and literature concentration. "There were a lot of applicants, and I wasn't expecting to be chosen as a semifinalist. But I am very grateful."

Hoyer, a freshman pursuing a degree in psychology who is in the Honors program, and Pieplow were surprised to be selected as semifinalists since they were first-time applicants. Hoyer hopes to study Korean while Pieplow aims to study Chinese.

The other four are repeat applicants:

• Zoe Rumbaugh, a senior pursuing degrees in East Asian studies and modern languages with a Chinese for global professionals concentration, has applied three times. As a semifinalist, she hopes to study the Mandarin language. She is in the Honors and Chinese Language Flagship
• Roderick Selman, a senior pursuing a degree in modern languages with a concentration in Arabic, has applied twice. The member of the Corps of Cadets hopes to study the Indonesian language.
• Daniel Shearer, a junior pursuing a degree in East Asian studies and a minor in leadership, was a finalist in spring 2019 and an alternate in spring 2020. The member of the Corps of Cadets hopes to study the Japanese language.
• Maggie Simmons, a junior pursuing a degree in modern languages with a concentration in Chinese for global professionals, was an alternate in spring 2020. The member of the Chinese Language Flagship program hopes to study Mandarin.

Dr. Victoria Hightower, assistant director of the nationally competitive scholarships office and associate professor of history, said having six semifinalists shows the strength of Â鶹ÊÓƵ's language programs, the mentorship of its faculty, and the encouragement students receive. She also praised the hard work of the applicants who complete five essays that explore their cultural knowledge, motivations, and futures.

"I am always humbled by the amount of work our students put in to these applications, both physical and emotional," Hightower said. "These scholarships require the students to think about their lives in five or 10 years. This takes a lot of emotional energy, and they are up for the task."

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the CLS program funds American undergraduate and graduate students to complete intensive language study abroad in the summer. Finalists will be chosen later this month.

Students interested in learning more about nationally competitive scholarships should contact ncs@ung.edu  for more information. Also, students interested in learning about funding and programs to study abroad in a variety of projects can visit the Center for Global Engagement website.