Berea College’s Center for International Education (CIE) has announced that 11 students have been selected to receive the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The 11 recipients from Berea are part of a pool of 950 American undergraduate students from 356 colleges and universities across the nation selected to study or intern abroad during the summer 2016 term. Berea College’s Gilman Scholarship winners are: Daryl Sullivan, Nieva Arana, Jennifer Blume, Deanna Ellis, Jazmine Escamilla, Nicholas Oliver, Justice Wallace, Anna Reich, Willie Gosnell, Michael Moorer, and Amos Izerimana, who will study abroad in Ghana, Greece, Japan, The Gambia, Tanzania, Italy, Switzerland, and Costa Rica. Three other Berea College students, Esther Omolola, Rebecca Dixon, and Julie Michael, were named as alternates for studying in Argentina, Ghana, and Costa Rica. Berea College students received a total of $31,500 to help cover their summer expenses and a grand total of $61,000 for 20 students for the 2015-16 cycle.
Gilman scholars receive up to $5,000 each to apply towards their study abroad or internship program costs. The program aims to diversify the students who study and intern abroad and the countries and regions where they go. Students who receive a Federal Pell Grant from two- and four-year institutions who will be studying abroad or participating in a career-oriented international internship for academic credit are eligible to apply. Gilman Scholarship recipients have the opportunity to gain a better understanding of other cultures, countries, languages, and economies – making them better prepared to assume leadership roles within government and the private sector.
Congressman Benjamin A. Gilman, who retired in 2002 after serving in the House of Representatives for 30 years and chairing the House Foreign Relations Committee, commented, “Study abroad is a special experience for every student who participates. Living and learning in a vastly different environment of another nation not only exposes our students to alternate views, but also adds an enriching social and cultural experience. It also provides our students with the opportunity to return home with a deeper understanding of their place in the world, encouraging them to be a contributor, rather than a spectator in the international community.”
The Gilman program is administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE). The full list of students who have been selected to receive Gilman Scholarships, including students’ home state, university and host country, is available at: www.iie.org/gilman. According to Allan Goodman, President and CEO of IIE, “International education is one of the best tools for developing mutual understanding and building connections between people from different countries. It is critical to the success of American diplomacy and business, and the lasting ties that Americans make during their international studies are important to our country in times of conflict as well as times of peace.”
Seven of the 11 Gilman Scholarship winners are pictured, left to right: Deanna Ellis; Jazmine Escamilla, Michael Moorer, Nicholas Oliver, Daryl Sullivan, Anna Reich and Willie Gosnell. Not pictured are Nieva Arana, Justice Wallace, Amos Izerimana and Jennifer Blume.
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The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ (ECA) mission is to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries by means of educational and cultural exchange that assist in the development of peaceful relations. In an effort to reflect the diversity of the United States and global society, ECA programs, funding, and other activities encourage the involvement of American and international participants from traditionally underrepresented groups, including women, racial and ethnic minorities, and people with disabilities. Artists, educators, athletes, students, youth and rising leaders in the United States and more than 160 countries around the globe participate in academic, cultural, sports, and professional exchanges. For more information about ECA programs, initiatives, and achievements, visit http://eca.state.gov.
The Institute of International Education (IIE) is the world leader in the international exchange of people and ideas. An independent, nonprofit organization founded in 1919, the Institute is the world’s most experienced global higher education and professional exchange organization. IIE has a network of 19 offices worldwide working with more than 1,200 member institutions and over 6,000 individuals with a commitment to the internationalization of their institutions. IIE designs and implements programs of study and training for students, educators, young professionals and trainees from all sectors with funding from government and private sources. These programs include the Fulbright and Humphrey Fellowships administered for the U.S. Department of State. The Institute is a resource for educators and institutions worldwide (http://www.iie.org), publishing the Open Doors Report and operating www.IIEPassport.org and www.studyabroadfunding.org search engines for study abroad program and study abroad scholarships. For more information, please contact Lindsay Calvert, Director, Gilman International Scholarship, at 832-369-3481 or lcalvert@iie.org.
Berea College, the first interracial and coeducational college in the South, focuses on learning, labor and service. The College admits only academically promising students with limited financial resources, primarily from Kentucky and Appalachia, although students come from 40 states and 60 countries. Every Berea student receives a Tuition Promise Scholarship, which means no Berea student pays for tuition. Berea is one of seven federally recognized Work Colleges, so students work 10 hours or more weekly, earning money for books, housing, and meals. The College’s motto, “God has made of one blood all peoples of the earth, (Acts 17:26)” speaks to its inclusive Christian character.