Bryanna Sykes ’27, a dance and English major at Hofstra, was recently awarded the highly competitive Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Spark, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. The CLS Spark program provides American undergraduate students with immersive online language instruction in Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or Russian, led by native speakers at international host institutions.
Sykes, also a student in Hofstra’s Rabinowitz Honors College, grew up learning the basics of Japanese from her mother, who immigrated to the U.S. from Japan. She continued her studies at Hofstra by taking Japanese language courses. Last spring she shared with her professor, Dr. Patricia Welch, a desire to deepen her fluency.
Welch encouraged her to apply for the CLS Spark program. Upon winning the scholarship for summer 2025, Sykes joined an advanced beginner Japanese cohort of just eight students from across the country.
“We would have class every day from 6 to 9 p.m.,” she said. “Then we met with someone currently living in Japan who volunteered their time to help us practice the language.”
The program supplied textbooks, worksheets, and a stipend to cover technology needs, culminating in a final presentation delivered entirely in Japanese.
Bryanna Sykes is the eighth Hofstra student to be awarded a CLS Scholarship. Previous recipients include:
Ellie Villaraldo ’23 – Korean
Jessica Kurtz ’20 – Swahili
Garrett Shum ’18 – Japanese
Andrew Garrett ’17 – Japanese
Steven Hartman ’15 – Punjabi
Raisa Lardie ’12 – Russian
Lisa Young ’10, ’12 – Turkish (two-time recipient)
Having completed the program, Sykes believes the experience was an investment in her future. “My dream is to be a professional dancer and travel globally,” she said. “The ability to speak Japanese makes me more marketable and, hopefully, will open job and performance opportunities outside the U.S.”
A resident of Tampa, Florida, Sykes was drawn to Hofstra not just for its programs but also for the chance to become more independent. “I was afraid that if I went to school too close to home, I would rely too much on my family,” she explained. “Hofstra offered what I wanted and gave me the opportunity to be on my own and find my way.”
While she plans to continue her Japanese language studies, members of the Hofstra community can see her talents onstage this semester in the Fall Dance Concert, where she will perform in two pieces.
The diversity of Sykes’ studies and the encouragement and advisement she received from her professor exemplify Hofstra’s dedication to student success and interdisciplinary learning, both pillars of the Hofstra 100 strategic plan.
