Two CHASS students earn prestigious international Gilman scholarships

Two students from NC State’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences received the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, to study abroad this summer.

Stephen Minervino (History/Art and Design) will study in Prague, Czech Republic. Olaf Almquist (International Studies/Economics), a Hamilton Scholar, will study modern standard Arabic at the Qasid Institute in Amman, Jordan. They are among 850 American undergraduate students selected from 324 colleges and universities across the U.S. to participate.

Gilman Scholars receive up to $5,000 to apply toward their study abroad program costs. The program aims to diversify the students who study abroad and the countries and regions where they go. Students receiving a federal Pell Grant from two- and four-year institutions who will be studying abroad or participating in an international internship for academic credit are eligible to apply.  Scholarship recipients have the opportunity to gain a better understanding of other cultures, countries, languages, and economies — making them better prepared to assume leadership roles within government and the private sector.

Congressman Gilman, who retired in 2002 after serving in the House of Representatives for 30 years and chairing the House Foreign Relations Committee, commented, “Study abroad is a special experience for every student who participates.  Living and learning in a vastly different environment of another nation not only exposes our students to alternate views, but also 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 program is administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE).  The full list of students who have been selected to receive Gilman Scholarships, including students’ home state, university and country of study, is available on their website: www.iie.org/gilman.