22 Nebraska students earn Gilman Scholarship to study or intern abroad

Carlee Koehler, a previous Nebraska Gilman awardee, on her study abroad program in the United Kingdom.
Carlee Koehler, a previous Nebraska Gilman awardee, on her study abroad program in the United Kingdom.

by Rebecca Baskerville | Education Abroad Office
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Twenty-two University of Nebraska-Lincoln undergraduate students have earned Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships to study or intern abroad in fall 2018, spring 2019 and summer 2019.

The Gilman is a nationally competitive scholarship awarded three times a year by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and administered by the Institute of International Education.

After a record-setting year in 2017-18, this year tied as the second-highest number of awards for the University. Gilman offered UNL students a combined total of $82,500 in 2018-2019, also the second-highest dollar amount to date.

The Gilman Scholarship Program supports underrepresented undergraduates who might not otherwise participate due to financial constraints, and aims to encourage students to study and intern in a diverse array of countries and to study languages, especially critical need languages. Gilman scholars receive up to $5,000 to apply toward study program costs, and may receive an additional $3,000 to study a critical language. One Nebraska awardee, Connor Mcfayden, received the maximum amount of $8,000 to study Hindi in India in spring 2019.

Following is a list of the university’s newly awarded Gilman scholars (alphabetical by last name, with year in school, major and country of study awarded for):

Fall or Academic Year 2018:
Rachel Glaser, sophomore, marketing, Ireland
Ryane Needles, junior, global studies, Spain
Juana Paramo Reyes, senior, international business, Italy
Isaac Ward, senior, civil engineering, Argentina

Spring 2019:
Luis Martinez, senior, Art, Spain
Connor Mcfayden, junior, environmental studies, India

Summer 2019:
Alejandro Alarcon, junior, theatre, United Kingdom
Miguel Avila Garcia, senior, fisheries and wildlife, Brazil
Anna Burbach, junior, biochemistry, Costa Rica
Martha Burns, senior, global studies, Costa Rica
Diana Elias, senior, criminology & criminal justice, Netherlands
Daylinn Feik, junior, advertising and public relations, Italy
Misael Heras, junior, global studies, Peru
Gisselle Hernandez, senior, biological sciences, Ethiopia and Zambia
Jennifer Holguin, senior, nutrition and health sciences, Spain
Alexis (Lexy) Polivanov, senior, fisheries and sildlife, Namibia
Karen Richards, senior, theatre, United Kingdom
Maria Smal, senior, theatre, United Kingdom
Marlana Stephens, senior, environmental studies, Panama
Addisson Stugart, junior, political science, Chile
Trang Vuong, senior, nutrition and health sciences, Ethiopia and Zambia
Shelena Zwiener, senior, psychology, Austria

The Education Abroad Office offers various resources for students who are eligible and interested in applying to the Gilman Scholarship Program, including informational sessions, essay-writing workshops, and designated walk-in hours. The staff work closely with the Office of Fellowships and the Husker Hub to help students prepare and submit applications.

Deadlines for the Gilman Scholarship Program recur each October and March. For questions about applying, students can email educationabroad@unl.edu, call (402) 472-5358 or visit Love Library South 110 during walk-in hours from 1:00-4:00 pm.