Taylor Williams

Taylor Williams has earned a 2019 Critical Language Scholarship. Williams will travel to Okayama, Japan, to study the Japanese language at Okayama University.

The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is a summer overseas language and cultural immersion program for American undergraduate and graduate students fully funded by the State Department. The program aims to broaden the base of Americans studying and mastering critical languages and build relationships between the people of the United States and other countries.

“Receiving this award is important as it allows me an immersive, intensive experience studying a language and culture I have great interest in, thereby improving my ability to communicate with different people and understand their experiences as I seek to enter the education field.”

Collegiate experience

• Areas of Study:

  • Graduated May, 2019, from the College of Arts & Sciences with a degree in English

Inspired By

Kazuko Probst - for being such a supportive instructor. Without her, I would not have continued my study of the language past high school or felt able to apply for the Critical Language Scholarship. Luke Buckman - for being my advisor and an incredibly positive force in my college career. He has supported me in all of my academic endeavors, giving me guidance and encouragement to explore new avenues, think critically about social issues and better myself for the future

Elena Kamenetzky - my first Japanese teacher, who not only gave me an amazing foundation to learn the language and culture, but sparked within me a desire to broaden my perspective of the world and challenge myself and my abilities.

Hometown information

• Hometown:

  Louisville, Kentucky

• High school:

  Eastern High School (2015)

• Parents:

  Marcella Denise Franklin-Williams and Tracy Leroy Williams, Sr. of Louisville, KY