Ashleigh Brown in London. Photo credit: Ashleigh Brown
By Anslem Joseph
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2018 became the first year in which York College students applied for and were awarded with the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, according to Julissa Contreras-Martinez, the administrative specialist for the Scholarship Center.
A total of 12 York College students applied for the scholarship last semester. Six were selected for the opportunity to go study abroad and won money, two other students won money only, and the remaining two were wait-listed for awards. One student received $4,000 and went to London, another student received $3,500 and went to Moldova, and two other students received $2,500 and also went to Moldova, according to Contreras-Martinez.
“I’m happy about students getting the opportunity to study abroad,” Contreras-Martinez said. “This is why I wake up in the morning!”
The Gilman Scholarship is open to U.S. citizens who are currently receiving the Federal Pell Grant funding at two or four-year colleges.
The grant is a study-abroad scholarship for students with high financial needs, said Contreras-Martinez.
This year alone 12,000 applicants applied for the scholarships throughout the country.
With this scholarship, students also have the chance to intern in many different places around the globe. The Gilman Scholarship encourages students to study different languages, and develop their academic and career interests while abroad.
The scholarship also helps underrepresented students such as first-generation college students, students from minority groups, STEM students, and students with disabilities. The amount of money students win varies depending on how much financial help they need. The maximum amount a student can receive is $8,000.
York College student and Journalism major, Ashleigh Brown, a recipient of the award, went to London last summer. She acknowledged the impact the scholarship made in her life.
“The scholarship made a difference in my life because I got a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study internationally for the first time,” Brown said. “It made me realize how many different opportunities there are around the world and how important it is to have a global educational background.”
The registration for the Gilman Scholarship for the 2019 Spring and Summer semesters closed on Oct. 2, but students can look forward to sign up for this scholarship next year.
For more information about upcoming scholarship deadlines visit: http://www.dennyshungryforeducation.com, https://www.iie.org/Programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program, https://www.tmcf.org/our-scholarships
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