14 Grand Valley students earn competitive study abroad scholarships

A total of 14 Grand Valley State University students have earned nationally competitive scholarships to study abroad through the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship program.

The students received a combined total of $50,500 in scholarship money. To be eligible for a Gilman scholarship, students must be a U.S. citizen, study in a country that is not Cuba or on the State Department’s travel warning list for at least four weeks, and meet other financial need criteria.

Below are Gilman recipients, their major, country where they will study, and their hometown:

Summer 2014

Sam Batdorff, special education-elementary, Ghana, Wyoming

Alyssa Boike, mathematics-secondary education, Tanzania, Clinton Township

Amy Gardner, English language arts-elementary education, Ghana, Cedar Springs

Anthony Clemons, sociology & women and gender studies, South Africa, Allendale

Kendall Farkas, Classics and anthropology, Italy, Jenison

Liz Glowacki, English language arts-elementary education, Netherlands, Dorr

Jazmin McMullen, English language arts-elementary education, Netherlands, Detroit

Morgan Olson, liberal studies, Ghana, Williamsburg

Jessica Gibbs, public and nonprofit administration-public health, South Africa, Muskegon

Kait Bowman, photography, Italy, Allendale

Casey Overway, psychology & women and gender studies, South Africa, Holland

Amber Null, psychology, Chile, Hudsonville

Fall 2014

Kassie Stresman, Spanish & international relations, Ecuador, Vassar

Academic Year 2014-15

Elena Szost, economics and international relations, Japan, Muskegon

Complete eligibility requirements and details about the Gilman program are online at www.iie.org/en/Programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program. Students interested in applying for this scholarship are encouraged to contact Amanda Cuevas, director, Frederik Meijer Office of Fellowships, 230 Mary Idema Pew Library, (616) 331-2699, or [email protected]. The upcoming Gilman campus deadlines are September 23 for Winter 2015 study abroad and February 24, 2015 for Summer 2015, Fall 2015, or AY 15-16 study abroad.