Thompson’s application was selected as one of approximately 550 winners of the scholarship out of a total pool of around 5000 applicants. He applied to study Japanese in Hikone, Japan, through the program, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.
Thompson has visited Japan before through a Rotary Exchange program, in which he attended high school in Japan for three months and lived with a host family. He has also worked for Teknia Japan on a two-month internship, helping with interpreting work and with international deals.
After completing the CLS program, Thompson will return to Japan in the fall for the start of a yearlong study abroad at Chukyo University. After graduation, he hopes to work in Japan with a global business and continue his work in translation and/or investments.
In addition to taking classes at Marshall University, Thompson is also president of Marshall’s Sado (Tea) Club and a member of the Japan Club. He has also participated in the boxing and fencing clubs at Marshall. When asked how he felt about receiving the CLS, he attributed his success to the teachers and mentors he’s had over the years who helped him apply to scholarships and international exchange programs.
The Critical Language Scholarship, designed to get more U.S. students studying critically designated languages, funds students’ travel, language instruction, lodging, food and cultural activities for one of fourteen different languages. For some languages, like Japanese, students are required to have studied them prior to entering the program—others require no previous study.
For more information on the Critical Language Scholarship, please visit www.clscholarship.org or contact Mallory Carpenter at the Office of National Scholarships at by phone at 304-696-2475 or by e-mail at Mallory.carpenter@marshall.edu.