91制片厂

Seven 91制片厂 students with interests as varied as agricultural science and neurology have been honored by the .

The program is offered by the U.S. Department of State to 鈥渆nable students of limited financial means to study abroad, thereby gaining skills critical to our national security and economic competitiveness.鈥� Kiarra Austin 鈥�21, Amada Guapisaca 鈥�19, Tricia Kastelitz 鈥�18,听Allison Lehoux 鈥�18, Rory O鈥橬eil 鈥�20, Avery Van De Water 鈥�19 and Weicong 鈥淭yler鈥� Zeng 鈥�18 were named scholarship recipients this spring.听

鈥淲hat鈥檚 really exciting is that 91制片厂鈥檚 internationalization efforts seem to be gaining momentum and that we are seeing greater diversity among our Gilman applicants and winners,鈥� says Jeanne Sokolowski, director of 91制片厂鈥檚 Office of National Fellowships. 鈥淔or example, our Gilman recipients for the summer cycles include a freshman, a critical language (Arabic) student, a daughter of immigrants, a biology major conducting research abroad, a transfer student and several first-generation college students. I hope that our student success in the Gilman competition sends the message loud and clear that study abroad is for everyone.鈥�

Five of the scholarship winners discussed their future plans and what the Gilman means to them.

Amada Guapisaca 鈥�19 will be interning in Lisbon, Portugal, through the Study in Portugal Network for eight weeks in June and July. There, she鈥檒l work with the Fulbright Commission as a cultural exchange developer, supporting the exchange program and educational advising activities.

鈥淪ince my internship is a part-time position, I will also be taking classes at the University of Lisbon throughout the summer,鈥� Guapisaca says. 鈥淚f it weren鈥檛 for professor Fernando Beleza encouraging me to apply and helping me with my application and recommendations, I don鈥檛 think I would be able to take a part in this incredible opportunity.鈥�

A TRIO Scholar, she also credits that program and the Office of National Fellowships for helping make her Gilman award a reality. 鈥淭he Office of National Fellowships reviewed each one of my essay drafts and gave me really effective feedback, helping me make my essays the best that they could be,鈥� she says.

91制片厂, she says, is helping her attain her educational and long-term goals with her dual major in economics and international affairs. 鈥淭he advising team at Paul College has been amazing to me with all the twist and turns in my educational experience,鈥� she says, adding, 鈥淲ithout the classes and experiences I鈥檝e had at 91制片厂, I never would have seen myself wanting to get into the field of public diplomacy for the U.S. Department of State.鈥�

Allison Lehoux 鈥�18 will be studying in Ascoli Piceno, Italy, for five weeks. 鈥淏y studying abroad, I will take away a personal perspective of Italy鈥檚 food system at work and become part of a completely different food atmosphere in which food is fresher and grown locally,鈥� she says.

Lehoux says she has always been interested in exploring the world. 鈥淓specially since becoming a sustainable agriculture and food systems major, I have wanted to see how other countries view agriculture and value their food systems 鈥� and what better place to do that than in Italy with its well-known cuisine,鈥� she says.

鈥淏eing a first-generation college student, I figured it would be impossible for me to study abroad due to lack of funding 鈥� Receiving the Gilman has given me the opportunity to go abroad, gain hands-on experiences and enhance my education outside of the usual classroom setting,鈥� she says.

Rory O鈥橬eil 鈥�20 will be spending the summer in Amman, Jordan, at the CIEE Study Center as part of the Arabic Summer Intensive language and cultural immersion program. A political science and international affairs dual major with minors in Middle Eastern and security studies, O鈥橬eil says studying abroad has been one of her goals.

鈥淭he summer study abroad that I am participating in is ideal because it allows me to focus solely on language and cultural acquisition without worrying about keeping up on major requirements,鈥� she explains. 鈥淚t also allows me to make connections in my host country for additional study abroad opportunities in the future, such as an IROP or SURF Abroad from the Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research.鈥� O鈥橬eil previously took part in the center鈥檚 Research Experience and Apprenticeship Program.

Like her fellow Gilman recipients, she has high praise for the Office of National Fellowships. 鈥淛eanne Sokolowski is an invaluable resource for weighing all your options, deciding on the best application processes for you and then completing a competitive application,鈥� she says, adding, 鈥淪he keeps you focused and gives you encouragement in the crucial times where you may feel overwhelmed or defeated.鈥�

Avery Van De Water 鈥�19 will be studying at the Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging and Institute of Neurology of University College London. She鈥檒l also be taking an intensive three-day course to prepare for her research, and will bring data from professor Donald Robin鈥檚 Imaging, Motor Performance and Rehabilitation of Voice/Speech Laboratory to analyze for her honors thesis.

鈥淚 am so excited to have the opportunity to study abroad and diversify my college experience as well as to immerse myself in cultures apart from my own,鈥� she says.

A busy student on campus 鈥� co-founder of 91制片厂鈥檚 chapter of Nu Rho Psi, a national honor society in neuroscience, who has been involved in cutting-edge research and has served in various posts for residential life 鈥� Van De Water notes that each achievement so far 鈥渨as also a goal that I never would have imagined possible without the support from countless professors, supervisors, 91制片厂 staff members and some wonderful friends that I have made in my time here at 91制片厂.鈥�

Weicong 鈥淭yler鈥� Zeng '18 will spend five weeks in Berlin, Germany, taking an advanced German class and a course on German culture. "As part of the program, we will be visiting museums and the Holocaust memorial,鈥� he explains. 鈥淓ach student is required to research a topic of their choice, which will be presented in the last week of the program."

Zeng says traveling is one of his passions. "I always wanted to live in another country for an extended period of time, so study abroad has always been my goal."

During his years on campus, he says, "I am glad that I participated in two Undergraduate Research Conferences here at 91制片厂, which gave recognition to my writing and research skills. These skills will help me with a broad range of employment opportunities."

Learn more about opportunities like the Gilman program from 91制片厂's Office of National Fellowships.