Diego Encinas ’23 will study Portuguese and Jason Hahn ’23 will study Russian as part of government immersion program.
Two University of Rochester undergraduates have accepted US Department of State Critical Language Scholarships and will engage in language and cultural immersion programs with mentors in foreign countries this summer. The programs are part of a government effort to expand the number of Americans studying and mastering critical foreign languages, and to attract college students from a wide diversity of academic fields to study the languages offered.
Diego Encinas ’23, a psychology and Latin American studies double major from Tucson, Arizona, will study Portuguese. Jason Hahn ’23, an optical engineering major from Baldwinsville, New York, will study Russian. They were chosen from a pool of more than 4,600 applicants across the 15 language programs.
Ada Wightman ’21, a history and international relations double major from Sedona, Arizona, was accepted into the program to study Punjabi but has declined.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the programs will be held virtually.
“Initially, I was upset that the program was virtual because I really looked forward to visiting Brazil,” Encinas says. “The Student Fellowships Office really made me realize the program had way more to offer than just the trip. I’m excited that in just a couple of months my language fluency will increase dramatically.”
Hahn says Russian is “a fascinating language that would attract any nerd.”
“It’s a case and gender-based language, meaning that the endings of all nouns and adjectives must change according to the gender of the word and the grammatical circumstances in which words are used,” he says. “This makes thinking in Russian a fun game, as you have to figure out which case to use, then change the word endings accordingly.”
Encinas plans to become a social worker who helps children “feel safe and protected from the troubled situations they usually don’t have control over.” He also hopes to use his Portuguese skills to work with Brazilian children.
Hahn is exploring different applications of optics for a future career.
“There are many areas of optics in which Russian-based companies excel and are world renowned in the field of diffraction based instruments,” he says. “While I am still uncertain which specific industry I will land in, communication skills are still paramount to professional success.”
Encinas and Hahn will join 24 University students and alumni who have participated in the language program since its inception in 2006. Rochester students will have studied nine of the 15 languages offered.
