Math student wins prestigious U.S. Dept. of State Critical Language Scholarship

William Ochoa ’18 has just been awarded a U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) to study Japanese at the University of Shiga Prefecture in Hikone, Japan.

“I’m incredibly excited to be immersed in Japanese society for two months as it will help me grow to appreciate the country more and so that I can bring that knowledge back with me to further my studies here at Chapman. I want to thank Professor Michael Wood and Professor Etsuko Cook for helping me get to where I am today,” Ochoa said.

The Critical Languages Scholarship program looks to increase the amount of students mastering other languages while fostering community and relationships between Americans and those abroad. CLS scholars enjoy a fully funded summer cultural and language immersion program, thanks to the support.

Ochoa is one of the few selected to be a part of this program and mission of building understanding between different cultures and nations.

Ochoa is a mathematics major with a Japanese Studies minor, and he plans to apply to the Japanese Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program to teach Japanese after graduation.