The Center for Global Education and Center for Undergraduate Excellence are pleased to announce that three Chapman students have won the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship from the March 2024 application cycle! Their scholarships to study abroad range from $3,500 to $5,000. Learn more about where our Chapman grantees are studying abroad and their goals, as well as the Gilman scholarship in general below!

Bria Benton

bria benton showing the peace sign across her face

Bria Benton is a Psychology major and will be studying at Temple University in Japan. “I want to learn more about mental health stigma in Japan and how it correlates to health wellness’s cultural and global impact in our growing society. I decided to study abroad in Japan because it’s a country known for its art, hospitality, and various traditions that I’ve always loved. As a low-income student working two jobs, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity, as the Gilman Scholarship will help me with flights, meals, and transportation.  When experiencing a new country, I hope to meet people from many backgrounds and learn how to live in an international dorm while trying new things daily, such as the food, language immersion, activities, and excursions my program provides for students.” 

 

Matthew Molteni

matthew molteni headshot wearing a purple polo and hair dangling over his face

Matthew Molteni is a Data Science major and will be studying abroad at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid through CEA CAPA in Madrid. “During my experience abroad I hope to expand my mindset beyond cultural borders both socially and intellectually. This exposure will also broaden my understanding of Data Science, allowing me to integrate international insights into my studies and future career. I have noticed that even in the states where Data Science is such a new major on the market, the way it is taught at universities across the nation is extremely varied.  I am intrigued on how Spain and the rest of Europe are integrating this massive adaptation to data dominance. Overall I think a culture reset at any point in one’s life is an experience that, if given the opportunity, needs to be taken advantage of.”

 

Serenity Anderson

We would also like to congratulate Serenity Anderson. Serenity is a Television Writing and Production major and will be studying at the University of Roehampton through ISA. 

The Gilman Scholarship

gilman logo in blue with g in middle and full name circling it

The U.S. Department of State announced that it awarded the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to approximately 2,100 American undergraduate students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands who applied in the Spring 2024 cycle. On average, 70 percent of Gilman recipients self-identify as racial or ethnic minorities, 60 percent are from rural areas and small towns across America, and half are first-generation college or university students. All are recipients of the Pell Grant, a federal grant for U.S. undergraduate students with exceptional financial need.

This cohort of Gilman scholars will study or intern in over 90 countries and represents more than 500 U.S. colleges and universities. It includes 70 recipients of the Critical Need Language Award and 60 of the new STEM Supplemental Award, which supports selected Gilman scholars to conduct STEM-related research abroad as part of their overseas program. Additionally, there are 56 recipients of the John McCain International Scholarship for the Children of Military Families (Gilman-McCain Scholarship), which are awarded to the child and spousal dependents of U.S. military personnel who are active or activated during the application period. The governments of Germany, through the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), France, New Zealand, Israel, and Wales, as well as the Luso-American Development Foundation (FLAD) in Portugal and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO), provide additional scholarships to Gilman scholars to study in these countries/locations.

You may learn more about the Gilman Scholarship on their website: www.gilmanscholarship.org.

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 (IIE). “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. 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.