Five students enrolled in the College of LAS have been awarded Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships to study abroad this spring semester, helping to make the University of Illinois one of the most represented schools in the program.
Hei Chan (integrative biology), Ladonte Price (chemistry), Tatiana Smith (psychology and communication), Jessica Mattick (communication), and Vanessa Grisko (communication and earth, society and environmental sustainability) were among 10 U of I undergraduates to receive the competitive scholarships. U of I ranks sixth in the nation in the number of Gilman Scholarships for this semester.
“The Illinois recipients are motivated and accomplished students representing five different colleges across campus,” says Richelle Bernazzoli of the University of Illinois National and International Scholarships Program. “They will expand the reach of our university to diverse destinations on four different continents.”
The Gilman Scholarship Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs to diversify the kinds of students who study abroad and their destinations. Over the past decade, Gilman recipients have studied in 140 nations. Applications for summer or fall 2015 Gilman study abroad scholarships are due by March 3.
The U of I recipients are among the 800 U.S. undergraduates awarded scholarships from a pool of 2,500 applicants, with eligibility contingent upon financial need. Scholars receive up to $5,000 to apply toward their study abroad program costs. A limited number of Critical Need Language Scholarships are given each year that provide $8,000.
Chan, a sophomore from Chicago, plans to study at the University of Melbourne, Australia. Price, a senior from Chicago, will be at CEA Shanghai, China. Smith, a junior from Olympia Fields, Ill., and Mattick, a junior from Schaumburg, Ill., will study at SAO Exchange: Stockholm University, Sweden. Grisko, a junior from Marco Island, Fla., will study at International Sustainable Development Studies Institute, Thailand.
Other recipients from the U of I include Yan Chen (Chicago), junior in agricultural and consumer economics; Grace Procopio (Loves Park, Ill.), sophomore in interdisciplinary health sciences; Luis Garay (Mount Prospect, Ill.), junior in civil engineering; Alejandra Reyes Pena (Roscoe, Ill.), junior in broadcast journalism; and James Buckland (New York, N.Y.), junior in mechanical engineering.
The national list of students who have been selected as Gilman Scholars, including students’ home state, university, and country of study, is available online.
“Just as this group of Illinois Gilman Scholars no doubt found inspiration in the experiences of the scholars who preceded them, the newest Gilman Scholars will motivate their peers to explore study abroad options,” says David Schug, director of National and International Scholarships. “We look forward to working with the next group of applicants as a means of providing them access to this incredible experience.”
