By Marissa Price and Grace Bost

Three students and one recent alum from Virginia Commonwealth University’s Honors College and College of Humanities and Sciences have been selected for prestigious international summer programs that support diplomacy and scientific research.

Three of the honorees are recipients of the Critical Language Scholarship, a State Department program that supports the immersive study of 12 languages deemed critical to U.S. diplomatic and national security interests. The CLS umbrella includes CLS Spark, a virtual component for undergraduates.

The fourth VCU honoree has been selected for RISE Germany – the Research Internships in Science and Engineering initiative. It allows undergraduate students from North American, British and Irish universities to complete a summer program at top German universities and research institutions.

VCU’s three CLS recipients for 2025 will spend the summer intensively studying their target languages:

• Riya Bajpai, a freshman who is double-majoring in psychology and mathematical sciences, will study Mandarin virtually through CLS Spark.
• Helen Mun, who will graduate this year with a biology degree, will study Korean in South Korea.
• Vineeth Vaidyula, a 2023 alum who earned a biology degree, will study Hindi in India.

“Every year, our CLS recipients go through a challenging and transformative experience as they immerse themselves in their chosen language of study and culture of their host country,” said Jeff Wing, director of VCU’s National Scholarship Office. “We know that our CLS recipients will gain so much from this experience and that it will positively shape their futures.”

Only 500 students and alums were selected as recipients from more than 5,000 applicants.

“As a pre-medical student, the Critical Language Scholarship stood out to me as a way to expand my cultural awareness and learn a language that could be helpful in my future career as a doctor,” Bajpai said. “The NSO’s support in reviewing my application and guiding me through the process is a huge reason I was successful in this application cycle.”

VCU’s newest RISE Germany recipient is Nic Carwile, who will graduate this December with a biology degree.

RISE students are matched with doctoral students and researchers whom they assist and who serve as their mentors. Interns receive a monthly stipend to cover everyday costs, and about 300 scholarships are available each year.

“We are excited to have a student who will spend their summer doing research in Germany with the RISE program again,” Wing said. “Past recipients have found the experience to be both rigorous and rewarding. We have no doubt that Nic will have a similar experience.”

The NSO is housed in the Honors College, which emphasizes experiential learning. The office assists all VCU students and recent alums with the application process for esteemed scholarships and other awards.

The NSO will host a RISE information session on April 16 at 2 p.m. Register for the session or request a recording through this online form. To learn more about other external funding opportunities, schedule an appointment with a member of the NSO staff.