Thirteen students from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, were awarded funds collectively totaling $42,000 to make their dreams of study abroad a reality, thanks to the U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship.
“Every semester, we look forward to helping students tell their stories through the lens of an application,” said Laura De Furio, acting director of undergraduate research and fellowships at UT. “And it’s these personal stories — about a moment of realization, of academic triumph or even of defeat — that open doors for scholarship recipients. Our Gilman Scholars have all reflected upon and articulated the importance of international exploration in shaping them now as UT students and later in their professional lives. It’s great to see what they’ve made possible.”
UT’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships supports students and alumni as they apply for a wide range of nationally competitive fellowships, including the Gilman International Scholarship. The office helps students develop competitive candidacies through advising, application essay writing workshops and interview preparation.
The program is named for Benjamin Gilman, who served from 1973 to 2003 in the U.S. House of Representatives and for many years on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. To be eligible, applicants must be receiving a Federal Pell Grant when they apply or provide proof that they will receive a Pell Grant during the term of their study abroad program or internship.
Accepted Awards to Date
Hannah Alderman of Woodstock, Georgia, is a senior studying ecology and evolutionary biology with minors in Japanese and in wildlife and fisheries science. Alderman will be studying at the Mahidol University International College in Thailand, which is nationally prominent in tropical and marine biology.
Jaelyn Blackwell of Cleveland, Tennessee, is a junior studying audiology and speech pathology with a minor in public health. Blackwell will be using her scholarship to study in Italy, where she will take intercultural communication courses at the Instituto Lorenzo De Medici.
Chigozie Chukwuemeka of Clarksville, Tennessee, is a senior studying neuroscience with a minor in public health. She will be surveying history, economics, politics, society and cultures in Ghana.
Hadiya Javed of Maryville, Tennessee, is a junior studying language and world business with a concentration in Arabic and international business. She will take a full summer of language coursework while studying in Jordan.
Cielo Rico-Andrade of Antioch, Tennessee, is a senior studying child and family studies with a community outreach concentration. She will be studying in Sweden, where she will learn how family living and parenting are ecologically situated in the country.
Faith Vogel is a first-year honors student from Lewisburg, Tennessee, studying mechanical engineering with a minor in business administration. Her scholarship will take her to Seoul National University in South Korea, where she will further her engineering studies.
Kiara Wilson of Memphis, Tennessee, is a sophomore studying political science with a minor in Asian studies. She will study in South Korea, where she will take courses in Korean language studies and politics.
Other recipients are in review.
The next Gilman cycle opens in mid-August with an application deadline of Oct. 5. To explore fellowship opportunities or for support applying to nationally competitive awards like the Gilman scholarship, UT students can visit the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships website or contact the Programs Abroad office.
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CONTACT:
Albrianna Jenkins (865-974-3177, ajenki58@utk.edu)
Maggie Palmer (865-974-3993, mpalme19@utk.edu)