Mina Dwumfour-Poku

The Critical Language Scholarship

The Award

The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) is a 10-week intensive language study grant program designed to foster rapid language gains in order to prepare students for a globalized workforce.

At Baylor 

Mina earned a BS in Biology, concentrating in Cell and Molecular Biology. She was a Student Foundation Scholar, a SACE tutor, and a Clinical Research Assistant for Dr. Asare’s Cervical Cancer Screening Research.

Her Future 

Upon her completion of the CLS program, Mina aspires to pursue a medical degree and become a physician.

More from Mina

I applied to CLS Swahili because I want to expand the borders in which I can become an agent of change. It has always been a passion of mine to help those living on the margins. As the daughter of Ghanaian immigrants, my parents taught me at an early age the privilege that comes with growing up in the US and how fortunate I am to be in this situation. This framework has propelled me to live a service-led life and focus my efforts on providing accessible and equitable healthcare to medically underserved populations. With over 100 million speakers, Swahili is the most widely spoken language in Africa. As an aspiring doctor, I hope to compound my medical expertise with my proficiency in Swahili to promote preventive care and increase exposure to information regarding preventable diseases in East African communities. 

The application portal for the CLS opens around September and October and ends in November. Two months to prepare app materials at first seemed daunting, but I soon found applying to be a rather supportable and encouraging process. The CLS staff are straightforward about what they want to see in the short answer responses and provide guiding thoughts to better help you answer them. Additionally, they provide seminars and application workshops to aid in the writing process. Much like with other scholarship programs, I was incredibly supported by the wonderful staff at Baylor’s Office of Engaged Learning. The support from the program and my university all together made the process of applying to the CLS a pleasing experience for me. I recommend students apply to CLS because you will be applying to a program guaranteed to enrich your cultural experiences and language skills all the while having support throughout the process.

Feel free to contact me for advice about the CLS.