Wednesday, September 09, 2020

Five Seahawks have been awarded the U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, which provides financial support for students who want to study abroad or participate in international internships.
 
Grants enable students who demonstrate financial need to take advantage of opportunities to study or work as interns in other countries. The scholarship program offers up to $5,000 to help students offset costs.
 
The 2020 scholarship recipients are Grace Meile ’22, film studies and Spanish major (Costa Rica, spring 2020); Billy Morrow ’20, international studies major (Japan, summer 2020); Diana Mattson ’21, business major (United Kingdom, summer 2020); Jonelle Lytton ’21, business administration major (Germany, summer 2020); and Sophia Brown ’23, nursing major (Spain, fall 2020).
 
Meile completed her study abroad experience, said Brian Chandler, the Gilman Faculty Advisor and UNCW Spanish professor. Because of COVID-19 travel restrictions, the other recipients have the option to defer to future semesters, complete an online international program or return unused scholarship funds.
 
The scholarship enables students to gain proficiency in diverse languages, cultures and skills, according to the program’s website. The program encourages students to study and intern in a diverse array of countries or areas and world regions and to study languages, especially critical-need languages.
The program is named in honor of the late congressman Benjamin A. Gilman from New York, whose support was critical to the passage of the International Academic Opportunity Act of 2000, which established the scholarship program. The Institute of International Education has administered the program since its inception in 2001.

-- Venita Jenkins
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