Six More UNC Charlotte Students Receive Gilman Scholarship
49ers Receive Gilman Scholarship to Study Abroad for Summer & Fall
Education Abroad, with the Office of International Programs, congratulates and is proud to announce more recent recipients of the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Award from the March 2022 cycle. The Gilman Scholarship is funded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in the U.S. Department of State and offers underrepresented students opportunities to study or intern abroad. In providing more equitable opportunities for transformative education abroad experiences, the scholarship also provides recipients with skills that are critical to the United States’ national security and economic prosperity.
Six more UNC Charlotte undergraduate students were awarded a Gilman Scholarship to study abroad this past summer and for this current fall semester. Students are eligible to apply up to a year in advance for study abroad programs. Recipients were awarded up to $5,000 in funding to defray costs for their study abroad experience and assist them in gaining the necessary skills to become proficient in diverse languages, cultures, skills that are vital to their academic and career development. With over 12,000 annual applicants and a selection rate of fourteen percent, the Gilman scholarship is a prestigious award given to a limited number of students each cycle.
The rigorous application requires prospective recipients to submit a statement of purpose and two community impact essays describing how they will build mutual understanding by sharing what it means to be an American, learning about their host culture, and building meaningful relationships abroad. Applicants also submit a service project proposal designed to increase awareness of study abroad and the Gilman Scholarship in their home or campus community.
UNC Charlotte’s cohort of awardees from the March 2022 cycle pursued a range of programs in a variety of destinations. Genevieve Randall, who plans to major in Art, and Nataly Hernandez Montes, majoring in Anthropology and History, were awarded scholarships to study on the Faculty-Led Program, Exploring Art and Culture in Rome, for Summer 2022. Gloria Talbott, an International Studies and German major, was awarded to study abroad at the Goethe Institut in Germany this past Summer. Aria Shields, pursuising Health Systems Management, was awarded a scholarship to study abroad this past summer in South Africa with the Affiliate Provider, CIEE. CIEE generously awarded her matching grants through their Go Global Grant and the Global Access Initiative Grant. Faith Bailey, a Japanese Studies major, was awarded and is currently studying abroad this Fall with a UNC Charlotte exchange partner, J.F. Oberlin University, in Tokyo, Japan.
In addition, one awardee, Zaire Lawrence, was awarded funds to study abroad at the Goethe Institute in Germany for this past Summer. Unfortunately, Zaire was unable to accept the award, but plans to study abroad in Summer 2023.
The Office of International Programs and Education Abroad once again congratulates all of the Gilman scholarship recipients and their continued dedication to pursue their dreams and goals to learn about different cultures, languages, and people. The Gilman Scholarship Program will begin accepting applications for the March 2023 cycle in mid-January. Education Abroad will host workshops for eligible students in the Spring 2023 semester. For more information on how to apply to future Gilman scholarships please visit the Education Abroad website.
Q&A WITH OUR RECIPIENTS
Meet a few of our Gilman recipients from the March 2022 Gilman Scholarship cycle!
Genevieve Randall
- Why do you want to study abroad? What do you hope to gain from the experience? Since I’m an art major, I thought it would be great to study art in the cultural center that is Rome. I’m hoping to become more worldly and culturally aware.
- What are you looking forward to the most in your program and/or host country? I’m really looking forward to all of the rich historical sites that are all around the city.
- What advice would you give other students applying for the Gilman Scholarship? Take your time to apply, because it can really make a difference in your study abroad experience.
- Is there anything else you would like to share? I’m super grateful to have won this scholarship and super excited to be studying abroad!
Glory Talbott
- Why do you want to study abroad? What do you hope to gain from the experience? I mainly want to study abroad to improve my language skills in German (my major).
- What are you looking forward to the most in your program and/or host country? I am looking forward to seeing the architecture of the buildings and seeing the cultural differences firsthand.
- What advice would you give other students applying for the Gilman Scholarship? Make sure you apply and do your best to be clear and zealous when writing the essays.
- Is there anything else you would like to share? I look forward to trying the varieties of German chocolate. 😉
