The University of Pennsylvania is proud to announce that several students have been awarded the U.S. Department of State’s prestigious Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) to study languages essential to U.S. national security and global engagement. This fully funded program supports intensive overseas language study and cultural immersion.
This year’s recipients represent a diverse range of academic interests and global commitments, united by a shared dedication to cross-cultural understanding and public impact.
Miquela Berge (GSE ’26), from Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, will earn her Master’s in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) this spring from Penn’s Graduate School of Education. Her academic interests center on language learning, multilingual education, and global engagement. After completing a bachelor’s degree in German and Global Studies from Temple University, she spent a year in Berlin, Germany as a Fulbright U.S. Student Program participant, where she taught English at an elementary school and developed a strong interest in working with multilingual communities. At Penn, she has worked as a German language tutor at the Penn Language Center, served as a graduate assistant at Penn Abroad, and taught ESL at the Philadelphia nonprofit District 1199C. She also participated in the 2024–2025 Climate Leaders at Penn fellowship, researching urban tree coverage in Philadelphia. This summer, she will study Persian in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Following graduation, she plans to pursue a career in education.
Jay Bhatia (COL ’29), from Chicago, Illinois, is pursuing a bachelor’s degree with majors in International Relations and Psychology, and a minor in East Asian Languages and Civilizations, in the School of Arts & Sciences. His academic work explores how language shapes cognition, communication, and cross-cultural understanding. A participant in the National Security Language Initiative for Youth, he was also awarded the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Scholarship and is a two-time recipient of the NSA-funded STARTALK scholarship. Through the Critical Language Scholarship, he will study Hindi in Jaipur, India, this summer. He hopes to continue examining how language and psychology intersect in diplomacy and international relations, with a focus on fostering human connection across borders.
Davidi Tawfiles (COL ’28, GSE ‘28), an Egyptian immigrant, is majoring in Biology and submatriculating in Bioengineering at Penn. His academic and professional work is shaped by lived experiences with migration and inequitable access to healthcare, driving his commitment to global health equity. He has led multidisciplinary teams of epidemiologists, physicians, policy experts, and patient advocates from over a dozen countries to publish research in leading journals, including The Lancet, Nature Medicine, Lancet Oncology, and the Journal of General Internal Medicine. He has also conducted immunology and biomedical research at Yale School of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, and the Public Health Research Institute at NJMS. At Penn, he serves as a chemistry laboratory teaching assistant, volunteers with the UCHC Medical Clinic and Shelter Health Outreach Program, and has received multiple research grants through the Center for Undergraduate Research & Fellowships. He has also worked with the United Nations Development Programme and the African Union Commission on initiatives aimed at strengthening health systems and advancing evidence-based policy. Through CLS, he will further develop his language skills to support his long-term goal of improving healthcare access in underserved and politically vulnerable communities.
Alison Yau (WH ’26), from Atlanta, Georgia, is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Economics at the Wharton School, with concentrations in Finance and Business Analytics and a minor in English Literature in the College of Arts & Sciences. Her interests include equitable urban development, international business, and the role of finance in shaping policy. She has worked with the Penn Crime and Justice Policy Lab, conducting statistical research in Mexico City jails, and is actively involved in campus leadership. She serves as co-president of the Excelano Project, an arts collective dedicated to uplifting marginalized voices through creative writing, and sits on the board of the PEER Mentorship Program, a Pan-Asian American Community House initiative supporting first-year students. Through the Critical Language Scholarship, she will further develop her global perspective and cross-cultural skills in Tainan City, Taiwan. After completing the program and returning to the United States, she plans to begin a career in management consulting at Oliver Wyman.
These students exemplify Penn’s commitment to preparing global leaders equipped with the linguistic and cultural tools needed to address complex international challenges. The Critical Language Scholarship not only advances their academic and professional goals but also strengthens cross-cultural dialogue and mutual understanding worldwide.
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