The Office of International Programs is pleased to announce that three PVAMU students, sophomores Morgan Green and Alexandria White and senior Ashley Tolliver, have been awarded the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, which will provide them with opportunities to study abroad.
The Gilman Scholarship is a government-sponsored program through the U.S. Department of State. This program awards up to $5,000 for students to study abroad. Students must be Federal Pell Grant-eligible to qualify for this financial need-based scholarship; they must also be attending a community college or university, and the international program they are applying for must be lasting longer than three weeks.
As part of their application, students have to write a two-part essay, with one part addressing why they want to study abroad, why they chose the specific program they’re applying for, and any challenges they’ve faced related to their education or studying abroad. The second part of the essay is a follow-up service project. Once they return from their study abroad program, they can come back and promote the Gilman Scholarship and studying abroad on campus or in their community, which can be done in various forms, such as blogging, photography, presentations or volunteering.
“Prairie View historically hasn’t had many students even applying for this scholarship, so we’ve been trying to make a concerted effort to increase awareness for the program for itself, and having students coming to the office to learn about it,” said Marcus A. King, an international student advisor in the Office of International Programs at PVAMU. “These three students took the initiative and came to the office to go through applications and work with us in the application process. This ultimately helped us get a better idea of what Gilman is looking for.”
White is a social work major and managing editor of the Panther Newspaper. She is planning on studying abroad in Rome, Italy.
“Receiving The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship means everything to me,” White said. “This scholarship enables me to broaden my cultural understanding, experience a different way of living, and fulfill my childhood dream of going to Europe.”
Green is studying agriculture with a concentration in animal science. She will be studying abroad in South Africa.
“Receiving this scholarship to me symbolizes the presence of an opportunity to further my education outside of the typical setting,” Green said. “With this scholarship, I will be able to create life-changing experiences while engaging in activities that heavily relate to my future career.”
Ashley Tolliver is majoring in agriculture with a concentration in animal science.
“This summer, I will have the honor of traveling to Thailand for the Loop Abroad Wild Tropics program spending one week in Koh Tao and one week in Chiang Mai,” she said. “Receiving this scholarship is a major blessing to me because without it, I wouldn’t be able to travel outside of the country and do what I love the most, which is to care for animals and gain new knowledge on wildlife and conservation.”
For more information about the Gilman Scholarship, visit www.gilmanscholarship.org.
By Emilia Benton