Villanova Student Hayley Aron, of Weatogue, Conn., Honored with Critical Language Scholarship

VILLANOVA, PA (06/13/2012)(readMedia)-- Villanova University student Hayley Aron, of Weatogue, Conn., is the recipient of Critical Language Scholarship. Aron, who will be a junior in the fall, plans to study Japanese in Kyoto, Japan, during the summer of 2012.

Aron is pursuing a bachelor's degree in Global Interdisciplinary Studies from the University's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. While at Villanova, she has completed formal coursework in Japanese and plans to study abroad for a full academic year at Kansai Gaidai University in Osaka, Japan. She enrolled in Inlingua Language School and began to study Japanese independently in high school. Also proficient in Chinese, Aron hopes to pursue a career of public service and international relations where she can utilize her knowledge of Japanese and Chinese language and culture to improve Japanese-Sino relations.

Launched in 2006, the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is an initiative of the U.S. Department of State and is administered by the Council of American Overseas Research Centers and American Councils for International Education. The program offers intensive overseas study in critical-need foreign languages, such as Arabic, Japanese, Punjabi, Russian and Turkish.

About Villanova University: Since 1842, Villanova University's Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition has been the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University's five colleges – the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the College of Nursing and the Villanova University School of Law. As students grow intellectually, Villanova prepares them to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them.