Eleven 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 Dec. 1, 2020, and Oct. 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.

Courtesy photo

Former Gilman Scholar Miguel Avila Garcia poses with a Bilbao sign during his education abroad program in Bilbao, Spain, in summer 2019.

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.

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.

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 institutions 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:

Columbus:

• Antonio Soto, sophomore, microbiology, Italy.

Grand Island:

• Joana Reyes, junior, psychology and child, youth and family studies, Spain.

Lincoln:

• Alaa Ismail, senior, political science, Spain.
• Ana Raymundo-Pascual, junior, criminology and criminal justice, France.
• Anibal Grajeda, sophomore, international business, Spain.
• Mellisha Lambert, freshman, communication studies, Germany.
• Saadi Al Saadi Bualaq, senior, global studies, France.

Omaha:

• Chika Izuegbunam, senior, marketing and finance, Spain.
• Clarice Ann Santos, senior, economics and sociology, Zambia and Ethiopia.
• Lauren Lewis, sophomore, marketing, Spain.
• Nae Mae, junior, nutrition and health sciences, Thailand.

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