University of Tennessee at Chattanooga senior Durand Henderson, a United States Air Force veteran and adult learner majoring in business administration with a concentration in economics—to go with minors in personal finance and political science—has been selected for the prestigious Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Spark program for Korean.
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, CLS Spark is a competitive opportunity that provides intensive language instruction and cultural enrichment experiences to American students, building future leaders with global engagement skills.
Henderson, who is on pace to graduate from UTC in December, will spend nine weeks immersed in virtual Korean language courses taught by faculty from Chonnam National University in Gwangju, South Korea.
The program runs from June 9 to Aug. 8.
“I chose Korean because I’ve always had a fascination with East Asian culture, especially from a military and security standpoint,” Henderson said. “Even though I’m no longer serving, I still have that military hat on. I want to help out my nation in any way I can. Learning Korean is a step toward that.”
Classes will be held live online daily, complemented by one-on-one consultations, weekly cultural activities and extensive independent study. Participants also connect with language partners from the host university for conversational practice.
A native of Detroit, Henderson enlisted in the Air Force in 2014—attaining the rank of E-4 and serving as an HVAC technician. His time in the Air Force included being deployed to Qatar in 2017.
While stationed at Travis Air Force Base in California, Henderson completed an associate degree in electrical and mechanical systems from the Community College of the Air Force. After separating from the Air Force in October 2018, he initially stayed in California’s Bay Area before relocating with his wife, Troya—a Navy veteran—to the Chattanooga area in 2021 to be closer to both of their families.
Henderson enrolled at UTC in August 2022 and quickly became involved as a Veteran and Military Affairs Student Ambassador.
The CLS Spark will be Henderson’s first formal step toward a career in diplomacy—with aspirations to join the U.S. foreign service after graduation.