Gilman Scholarship Supports Study Abroad Experiences
Four NC State students were recently selected to receive the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to study or intern abroad during the fall of 2019.
The Congressionally funded Gilman Program broadens the U.S. student population studying and interning abroad by providing scholarships to outstanding undergraduate students who, due to financial constraints, might not otherwise study abroad. Since the program’s establishment in 2001, over 1,300 U.S. institutions have sent more than 28,000 Gilman scholars who represent the rich diversity of the United States to 145 countries around the globe.
Three students from NC State who received a Gilman scholarship shared what they’re most looking forward to in their upcoming study abroad experiences:
Cheyana Bassham
- Program: The School for Field Studies: Wildlife Management Studies in Rhotia, Tanzania
“I will be studying wildlife management in Tanzania through the School for Field Studies. I am ultimately there to learn about wildlife management in a country where it is so crucial to both the wellbeing of the communities and the sustainability of the environment. I can think of no better way to engage wildlife than by safari, expeditions, and hands-on research. Learning about the culture of Tanzania through homestays, volunteer work, and visiting traditional tribes will be an incredible opportunity to expand my own view of the world around me, and I eagerly anticipate how this opportunity will shape my future.”
Zach Helon
- Program: University of Tartu (ISEP), Tartu, Estonia
“I am most excited about engaging with a part of Europe that typically falls outside of most people’s radar. Estonia presents a great opportunity by being both highly developed and Western-oriented while maintaining its Eastern history and culture.”
Toinette Powers
Program: Semester in Spain, Santander, Spain
“I am most excited about being immersed in a different culture! From attending events in the town to living with a homestay family to taking classes with the local Santander Students, I know that this will be an impactful experience, especially when it comes to practicing Spanish and further developing a cross-cultural perspective and global mindset.”
“The Gilman Program aims to make study abroad, and its career advantages, more accessible and inclusive for American students. These diverse American students gain critical skills overseas that expand their career options and ability to make an impact in their home communities,” said Heidi Manley, the Chief of USA Study Abroad at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. She notes that the program particularly focuses on supporting first-generation college students, students in the STEM fields, ethnic and racial minority students, students with disabilities, students who are veterans, students attending community colleges and minority-serving institutions, and other populations underrepresented in study abroad, as well as broadening the destinations where scholars study or intern.
The Study Abroad Office is hosting several upcoming information sessions for students interested in this scholarship opportunity. In addition to the Gilman Scholarship Program, study abroad students are encouraged to explore a wide range of funding opportunities, such as NC State’s study abroad scholarships.
The Gilman Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and is supported in its implementation by the Institute of International Education. View the complete list of students who have been selected to receive Gilman Scholarships this fall.