August 20, 2018

Five Drexel students have been awarded Gilman Scholarships to study abroad for fall 2018 and one has been named an alternate. The prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, awards scholarships to American undergraduate students from colleges and universities across the United States to study or intern abroad during the fall or full academic year of 2018. Congratulations to all of Drexel's Gilman honorees!

Amna Khalafalla (BA Sociology '22)
Gilman Scholar to the United Arab Emirates
Amna is a sophomore majoring in sociology with an interest in urban sociology. With the support of the Benjamin A. Gilman scholarship, she will fulfill her long-term goal of bettering her Arabic at the American University in Dubai.

Nneoma Nzeduru (BS Biomedical Engineering ’20)
Gilman Scholar to Hong Kong
Nneoma is currently studying biomedical engineering with a concentration in biomaterials and tissue engineering. With the assistance of the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship, she is able to study at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Sharee DeVose (BA Global Studies ’19, Honors)
Gilman Scholarship Alternate to Costa Rica
Sharee is a senior majoring in global studies with a minor in Spanish. Sharee is a lover of all things with a global theme, particularly cultural diversity, intercultural behavior, and language. She is a writer, editor, and overall language enthusiast. In fall 2018, Sharee will be studying in San Jose, Costa Rica.

Waheed Rushdi (BS Business Administration ’19)
Gilman Scholar to Scotland
Waheed is a junior majoring in business with an interest in international business management. Through the Gilman Scholarship, he will  study abroad at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, one of the oldest universities in the United Kingdom.

*The list does not include the students who declined to have their names published online.

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program provides U.S. undergraduate students financial support to pursue academic studies or credit-bearing internships abroad. The program supports many students who have been historically underrepresented in education abroad, including but not limited to first-generation college students, students in STEM fields, ethnic minority students, students with disabilities, and students coming from U.S. states with less study abroad participation.

Learn more about the Gilman Scholarship and how to apply at Drexel.

Official Press Release

 Drexel Students Awarded U.S. Department of State’s
Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships to Study Abroad

August 15, 2018 –  The U.S. Department of State is pleased to announce that five Drexel students are some of 835 American undergraduate students from 310 colleges and universities across the United States selected to receive the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to study or intern abroad during the fall of 2018 or the 2018-2019 academic year. These students include Amna Khalafalla (BA Sociology '22), Nneoma Nzeduru (BS Biomedical Engineering ’20), Waheed Rushdi (BS Business Administration ’19) and two students who declined to have their names published online. In addition, Sharee Devose (BA Global Studies ’19, Honors) was selected as an alternate. The complete list of students who have been selected to receive Gilman Scholarships this term, including students’ home state, university, and host country, is available on the website: gilmanscholarship.org.

Gilman Scholars receive up to $5,000 to apply towards their study abroad or internship program costs with additional funding available for the study of a critical language overseas.  The Gilman Scholarship supports American undergraduate students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad and, since 2001, has enabled more than 25,000 outstanding Americans of diverse backgrounds to engage in a meaningful educational experience abroad. The program has successfully broadened U.S. participation in study abroad, while emphasizing countries and regions where fewer Americans traditionally study.

The late Congressman Gilman, for whom the scholarship is named, served in the House of Representatives for 30 years and chaired the House Foreign Relations Committee. When honored with the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Service Medal in 2002, he commented, “Living and learning in a vastly different environment of another nation not only exposes our students to alternate views, but adds an enriching social and cultural experience.  It also provides our students with the opportunity to return home with a deeper understanding of their place in the world, encouraging them to be a contributor, rather than a spectator in the international community.”

The Gilman Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and is supported in its implementation by the Institute of International Education (IIE).

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The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ (ECA) mission is to build relations between the people of the United States and the people of other countries through academic, cultural, sports, professional and private exchanges, as well as public-private partnerships and mentoring programs. These exchange programs improve foreign relations and strengthen the national security of the United States. ECA programs, funding, and other activities encourage the involvement of American and international participants from traditionally underrepresented groups, including women, racial and ethnic minorities, and people with disabilities.  Artists, educators, athletes, students, youth and rising leaders in the United States and more than 160 countries around the globe participate in academic, cultural, sports, and professional exchanges.  For more information about ECA programs, initiatives, and achievements, visit eca.state.gov.

The Institute of International Education (http://www.iie.org/) works with policymakers, educators and employers across the globe to prepare students and professionals for the global workforce and equip them to solve the increasingly complex challenges facing our interconnected world. An independent, not-for-profit organization founded in 1919, IIE has a network of 18 offices and affiliates worldwide, and over 1,300 member institutions.