30 Huskers earn Gilman scholarship for education abroad

Thirty University of Nebraska–Lincoln undergraduates have earned the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to support credit-bearing study abroad, internship abroad or virtual international opportunities between spring 2021 and Dec. 31, 2021.

The Gilman is a nationally competitive scholarship awarded twice a year by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and administered by the Institute of International Education. Students may apply several months in advance of their program, allowing them to finalize their education abroad plans with the reassurance of funding. Between the October 2019 and March 2020 cycles, 47 Nebraska students were awarded, surpassing Nebraska’s previous record of 34 recipients in 2017-18.

The Gilman scholarship supports underrepresented undergraduates who might not otherwise participate due to financial constraints, and aims to encourage students to study and intern in a diverse array of countries and to study languages — especially critical need languages. According to the Gilman program, more than 7,000 applicants were reviewed for the March 2020 cycle, and more than 2,500 students were offered awards.

Gilman Scholars receive up to $5,000 to apply toward program costs and may receive up to an additional $3,000 to study a critical language. One Nebraska awardee, Kadeja Alkanass, received the additional funding to study Arabic in Jordan.

All five students who applied for the Gilman to pursue the “Food Security, Health and Nutrition” program led by Mary Willis, professor of nutrition and health sciences at Nebraska, in Zambia and Ethiopia also received an award, bringing the program’s total to 15 recipients since summer 2014.

In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Gilman program is allowing recipients to use their scholarships to pursue online courses or virtual intensive language programs at an institution based outside of the United States, virtual faculty-led study abroad programs or virtual international internships. Nebraska’s Education Abroad Office is now supporting Virtual International Programs as an alternative for global learning.

Following is a list of Nebraska’s newest Gilman Scholars by hometown, with year in school, major(s) and intended country or countries of study.

Nebraska

Ashland:

• Hayden Wall, junior, fisheries and wildlife, South Africa.

Bellevue:

• Nathaly Larios-Vasquez, junior, secondary Spanish education, Spain.

Columbus:

• Emily Casanova, junior, journalism, and advertising and public relations, Spain.
• Caitlin Steiner, junior, advertising and public relations, United Kingdom.

Gretna:

• Alex Henkel, senior, psychology and sociology, Spain.

Humboldt:

• Patrick Pineda, senior, architecture, Spain.

La Vista:

• Emily Barajas, sophomore, psychology, France.

Lincoln:

• Kadeja Al Kanass, junior, psychology, political science and international business, Jordan.
• Nick Barber, junior, art, Turkey.
• Carissa Bohaty, junior, microbiology, Spain.
• Kia Brodersen, senior, global studies and political science, Chile.
• Emily Degraff, junior, English and philosophy, France.
• Sara Hasan, senior, English and psychology, United Kingdom.
• Kevin Le, junior, nutrition and Health Science, Zambia and Ethiopia.
• Martin Little, freshman, undeclared, Japan.
• Sonoor Majid, senior, biochemistry and chemistry, Turkey.
• Emily Olsen, senior, global studies, Jordan.
• Izchel Quintero, senior, Spanish, English and global studies, United Kingdom.
• Muranmok Riyangow, junior, international business, Jordan.
• Libby Shonka Smith, junior, psychology, Spain.

Norfolk:

• Jessica Long, senior, global studies and geography, United Kingdom.

Omaha:

• Brenda Heracleo-Flores, sophomore, psychology and Spanish, Peru.
• Isabella Martello, senior, secondary social science education, Zambia and Ethiopia.
• April Post, junior, nutrition and health science, Zambia and Ethiopia.
• Alyssa Soppe, senior, music education, Spain.

Seward:

• Gracie Sullivan, sophomore, veterinary science, Australia.

Elsewhere in the U.S.

Anaheim, California:

• Riham Mohammed, junior, global studies, Morocco.

Olathe, Kansas:

• Timothy Bogdan, senior, economics, Japan.
• Caroline Jacobs, senior, communication sciences and disorders, Chile.

Bloomington, Minnesota:

• Ayla Volante, senior, anthropology, Spain.

To earn more about the Gilman scholarship and additional funding options available to Husker students going abroad, click here.