[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 11 (Friday, January 17, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E101]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 LETTER OF RECOGNITION FOR 2013 CRITICAL LANGUAGE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT

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                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, January 17, 2014

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ms. Grace Meng, 
a resident of Vienna, Virginia, who is a recipient of the 2013 Critical 
Language Scholarship.
   The Critical Language Scholarship Program was established in 2006 by 
the Department of State as part of an effort to train American young 
people in languages that are critical to our nation's global interests. 
For three months, attendees are immersed in an intensive cultural 
environment that teaches a new language, new culture, and new sense of 
self. The CLS program is remarkably competitive; in 2013 nearly 4,000 
students from around the country applied, but only 597 were accepted. 
Due to her impressive academic success, I am proud to say that Grace 
Meng was one of those chosen.
   Participants in the Critical Language Scholarship Program do more 
than simply enrich their own appreciation of a foreign culture. Their 
deep understanding of these critical regions ensures that our nation 
has capable individuals that can work on issues vital to the interests 
of the United States. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in 
recognizing the service of Grace Meng, and in wishing her heartfelt 
congratulations on her achievements.

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