
Lillian Chien, a student in the UAB Honors College’s University Honors Program, aspires to become a doctor and practice medicine in areas with heavy populations of Chinese and Taiwanese immigrants. Being selected for the US Department of State’s Critical Language Scholarship program will help her follow that dream.

Mariana Rodríguez loved her International Studies (ITS) classes and teachers so much that she went on to receive a PhD in Political Science from Vanderbilt University in 2013. Those classes, especially the advanced ones, were fundamental in preparing her for grad school. “They provided similarly challenging curricula as the graduate level courses I took at Vanderbilt.”

Majoring in International Studies (ITS) enhanced my ability to analyze cause and effect at a political and a cultural level. This has been useful in many ways as a journalist because it helps me draw cultural parallels between international and domestic issues.

Hyde is a member of the UAB Honors College’s Experiential Learning Scholars Program.

Rodriguez is the first student at UAB to be named a Rangel Scholar.


Teach for America (TFA) is a nonprofit corps comprising high-achieving recent college graduates and professionals. Corps members are committed to expanding educational opportunities for children facing the challenges of poverty by committing for two years to teach in high-need schools.