18 Grand Valley students awarded prestigious Gilman Scholarships

Eighteen Grand Valley State University students were selected to receive the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to fund study abroad opportunities in the Early Summer and Summer 2019 competitions.

Gilman Scholars receive up to $8,000 to apply toward their study abroad or internship program costs. The award is open to students who receive a Federal Pell Grant and who will be studying or interning abroad for 21 days or longer in host countries with Level 1 or 2 State Department Travel Advisories. 

The new Gilman-McCain Scholarship ($5,000) is open to students who are dependents of active duty service members (Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marines, Navy) who receive any form of federal financial aid.

The Gilman Scholarship enables students to gain proficiency in diverse languages and cultures, skills that are critically important to their academic and career development, preparing them to assume leadership roles within government and the private sector.

GVSU’s recipients are among the 1,424 Gilman Scholars selected from a pool of more than 5,600 highly competitive applicants.

Grand Valley’s Summer 2019 Gilman Scholars are listed with their hometown, major(s), and country of study:

Kaitlyn Yarnell, Battle Creek, Michigan; communications; Japan

Capriana Calvachi, Traverse City, Michigan; anthropology and biology; United Kingdom

Anthony Cotton, Lapeer, Michigan; information systems; Germany

Paul Villa, Benton Harbor, Michigan; biomedical sciences; Spain

Richard Vegh, Haslett, Michigan; philosophy and English; Peru

Chloe Church, Berkley, Michigan; teaching/special education; Tanzania

Rachel Kornoelje, Caledonia, Michigan; writing; South Africa

Amber Cuello, Bronx, New York; international relations; Spain

Melissa Sharapata, Lake Zurich, Illinois; allied health sciences and psychology; United Kingdom

Leigh Menard, Holly, Michigan; anthropology/religious studies and Middle East studies/Arabic; Jordan

Ashley Brown, Howell, Michigan; biomedical sciences; United Kingdom

Patricia Dickson, Grand Rapids, Michigan; communication studies and advertising/PR; Czech Republic

Alejandra Salinas, Grand Rapids, Michigan; nursing and Spanish; Chile

Angela Harris, Detroit, Michigan; public and nonprofit administration and marketing; Namibia

Jillian Huizenga, Spring Lake, Michigan; computer science and applied linguistics; Japan

Amarri Smallwood, Chicago, Illinois; women, gender and sexuality; South Africa

Zoe Zaroff, St. Joseph, Michigan; anthropology and photography; Belize

Valerie Diaz (alternate), Chicago, Illinois; health communications; United Kingdom

The Gilman Scholarship (https://gilmanapplication.iie.org/) program is administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE). The scholarships, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, are awarded to high-achieving students to help diversify the students who study and serve internships abroad, as well as the regions where they work and study.

To date, more than 190 GVSU students have received Gilman Scholarships.

The next application deadline for Gilman Scholarships is October 1, 2019. The October deadline is for programs with start dates between December 2019 and October 31, 2020. Any students considering studying or interning abroad in Spring/Summer 2020 are encouraged to apply in October, since Gilman award notifications will be made prior to deposit and application deadlines for study abroad programs through Grand Valley's Padnos International Center or outside providers. October applicants who are not selected will have a second chance to apply in March. The March Gilman deadline supports programs that begin between April 2020 and April 2021.

Applications must be certified by the Office of Fellowships and the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. For more information or to begin an application, faculty, staff and students should contact Elizabeth Harrington Lambert in the Frederik Meijer Office of Fellowships at [email protected].

For more information on other competitive scholarships and fellowships, visit www.gvsu.edu/fellowships.