Sophomore Ben Larson recently received the Global Citizenship Scholarship, which is given out by The American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP). This scholarship allows a student to attend the Concordia Language Villages, which would cost around $2,000 to attend, for free. Surprisingly, only 1 in every 16 applicants will receive this scholarship, making it a big honor to win. “It’s really cool to get it, seeing as not many people actually do,” Larson said.  

To be eligible to apply for the scholarship, students in grades 8-10 had to score at or above the 75th-percentile on the 2014 National Spanish Exam. Students then completed an application process testing their Spanish speaking skills through a video presentation, as well as their writing skills through a written essay. “Mrs. [Mary] Murray helped me a lot with the application process, especially the 5 minute video,” Larson said.

Founded in 1965, Concordia Language Villages are located in Bemidji, Minnesota and are a total immersion camp for people looking to fully experience a new culture and language. Larson will be attending El Lago del Bosque; the cabins are made to resemble authentic Spanish architecture complete with a central plaza and fountain typical of Spanish speaking cultures. All of this attention to detail and cultural traditions is what attracts over 11,000 participants each year to the villages, from all 50 states and over 40 different countries around the world.