PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (July 24, 2026) – Since 2001, the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship program, a merit-based award funded by the U.S. Department of State, has made international study more accessible to students. Recipients of the award receive up to $5,000 to cover eligible program costs and related expenses.

The highly competitive national scholarship attracts thousands of applicants each cycle, with approximately one in five selected. Rising Prairie View A&M University sophomore and Honors College student, Evana Coleman, can now add her name to the prestigious club of Gilman scholars. The scholarship will provide significant support for Coleman, who will study abroad in Dublin, Ireland, in the fall.

“This scholarship makes it easier for me to study abroad without going into debt. I am so grateful to not only receive this scholarship, but to also join a network of scholars who understand the importance of a global education,” said Coleman.

From McKinney to Dublin

As a history major and sociology minor, Coleman is most looking forward to gaining more insight into her studies on historical preservation and Black storytelling. But ‘why Dublin?’ many people have asked. The quick answer: Ireland is the second-safest country in the world, has a growing Black population, which has grown significantly in recent decades following the Celtic Tiger economic boom, and has a college that offers Afro-Caribbean clubs and campus groups.

However, her reasoning runs deeper than that. Though the link between Ireland and Black history may not be apparent at first glance, it’s where Frederick Douglass sought refuge after threats from the Fugitive Slave Act. He shared that his travels to Ireland were the first time he was treated like a man. Not a Black man—a man. That historical connection between Ireland and Douglass inspired the McKinney, Texas, native to study abroad in Dublin.

“I am most excited about learning more about Irish history and exploring all of Ireland. I want to fully immerse myself in their culture, make some international friends, and enjoy Irish fish and chips!” Coleman exclaimed excitedly.

Finding the right academic program was only the first step. Securing financial support was an entirely different challenge, as studying abroad can be expensive. With the help of her study abroad advisor, Alexis Agard, Coleman learned about the Gilman Writing Workshop. She strongly believes the resources she gained through the Office of International Programs helped her prepare a standout application package.

To other students interested in studying abroad and applying for the Gilman Scholarship, Coleman advises them to find and connect with mentors who are equally invested in their success. Acknowledging that the overall process can be trying, Coleman emphasized the importance of maintaining one’s confidence.

She added, “There will always be some level of uncertainty, but you have to be all in when you bet on yourself.” She remembers how nervous she was about her first study abroad experience, an unexpected opportunity that came after a chance meeting with Dr. Marco Robinson, an associate professor of history and assistant director of the Ruth J. Simmons Center for Race and Justice, who later became her mentor.

Coleman was on campus for a scholarship gala as a recipient of PVAMU’s Regents Merit Scholarship when she met Dr. Robinson and learned about an upcoming study abroad trip to the Bahamas. Initially, she didn’t get her hopes up, but to her surprise, she was selected to travel with a team of student researchers from the Ruth J. Simmons Center for Race and Justice as the only incoming freshman.

​The trip was life-changing for Coleman. Not only was it her first introduction to PVAMU and to a community of students who would become friends and mentors, but it also opened her eyes to the wider world for the first time.

​“While abroad, I learned about Bahamian history and its connections to the Transatlantic Slave Trade, agricultural practices on a sustainable farm, the tourism sector of the Bahamas economy, and we got to tour the University of the Bahamas. This trip broadened my worldview and what I believed was possible,” Coleman fondly recalls.

The Gift of Opportunity

Coleman says her ultimate goal is to make Black history more accessible. She hopes to one day work as a history professor who tells students the truth about the past and, in turn, helps them understand that they, too, are a part of history.

In pursuit of this lifelong aspiration, Coleman never passes over an opportunity. After losing her father to cancer at a young age and being a caregiver during her mother’s fight against stage one breast cancer, Coleman said she learned to chase every experience because tragedy doesn’t announce itself. It shows up and takes what it wants fast, without warning.

“I have done everything to honor his legacy and make a better life for myself and my family. My father taught me to live my life to the fullest, as it can be taken away in an instant,” Coleman shared.

Driven by the events of her past, Coleman welcomes every opportunity and experience to expand her skill set and explore her interests in historical preservation, Afro-Caribbean history, the documented importance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and more.

She recently completed the Heritage Tree Project, led by archaeologist Dr. Alicia Odewale. Working alongside Triniti Houston, a sophomore nutrition major, she researched the concept of trees as living witnesses to history, specifically the trees at PVAMU.

“While doing this project, I felt more connected to my campus, as these trees saw those that paved the way for me to be here… they have seen the Civil Rights era and, in some cases, could have been here to witness slavery on the Alta Vista Plantation,” said Coleman. She’s also presented her research at the Second Foundings Conference at Rice University and the National Conference of Black Political Scientists at the University of Maryland.

“To see these resilient trees as a witness to the rich history of Prairie View A&M University, I understand the importance of my research.”

This summer, Coleman is also serving as a research intern for the Interdisciplinary Study of the Politics of Place at the University of Mississippi. Encouraged by her mentor, Dr. Robinson, to apply, she will be working under sociology professor Dr. James Thomas, exploring the complex dynamics of race, power, and place in the American South.

Coleman is thrilled to have been accepted into this selective research opportunity. “I am especially excited because, as a history major, my favorite historical research area is Black history in the American South…I hope to learn a lot and to gain experience in my future career field.”

History in the Making: Coleman Embarks Upon Her Next Chapter

The opportunity to research, preserve, and share the stories of Black and Brown communities across the diaspora while being supported by the Gilman Scholarship and its alumni network is one Coleman does not take for granted.

Despite all that she’s had to overcome, she has found a way to repurpose her past pain, achieving much success in only a few short years. For a student from McKinney, Texas, who once wasn’t sure a semester abroad was within reach, the Gilman Scholarship is more than funding — it’s another chance to pursue her passion and fulfill the promise she made to her father.

In looking ahead to the next chapter of her story, she credits the place where it all began. “Prairie View taught me that my dreams are not out of reach, and for that, I am forever grateful,” said Coleman.

By Whitney Stovall

-PVAMU-