Five ASU students win Gilman Scholarship to study abroad

Five Arizona State University students have received prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships ranging in value from $2,500 to $8,000.

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural affairs,The Gilman Scholarship Program, provides study abroad opportunities for university students in the United States who are receiving federal Pell Grant funds. Gilman Scholarships help cover tuition, room and board, books, transportation, insurance, and airfare.

The Gilman Scholarship Program is one of many study abroad opportunities for which ASU students can apply. ASU students can study abroad through over 300 programs in more than 60 countries facilitated by the Study Abroad Office.  More information on options can be found at http://studyabroad.asu.edu

Selianna Robles, a junior political science major and student in Barrett, The Honors College at ASU, will study at Yonsei University in South Korea for the spring 2013 semester.

“I am very excited and appreciative to receive the Gilman Scholarship and very grateful to the Lorraine W. Frank Office of National Scholarship Advisement at ASU for helping me with my application process,” said Robles, who is from San Luis, Ariz.

The Lorraine W. Frank Office of National Scholarship Advisement (LWFONSA) is housed at Barrett Honors College and helps students from all ASU’s campuses prepare to compete for national and international awards of merit. Since 1991, LWFONSA-directed students have won more than 427 major national awards worth millions of dollars in external funding. In several competitions, ASU ranks among the top schools in the United States. In addition to Gilman, awards won include Rhodes, Marshall, Fulbright, Truman, Goldwater, Mellon, NSF, Udall, National Security Education Program (graduate and undergraduate), Freeman Asia, Hon Kachina, Javits, Woodrow Wilson, Rotary, USA Today, and others.

“The costs related to studying abroad can really add up, and truthfully, without my Gilman award I would be taking out extra loans to cover all the costs. I am very happy that I can study abroad without worrying about my financial situation at home,” she added.

Robles said she will attend the Korean Language Institute at Yonsei University to study Korean language.

“After taking three semester of Korean here at Arizona State, I believe that going abroad will help strengthen my language skills, especially my speaking abilities. As a political science major I will also be taking South Korean foreign and domestic politics courses. I wish to work for the United States State Department in the future, and mastering a language like Korean can set me on the right path to achieving that goal.”

The 2013 Gilman Scholars from ASU are:

Christopher Gray, Ariz. – China, $2,500

Mystic Hightower, Ariz.  – Jordan, $8,000

Lisa Kramer, Ariz.  – South Africa, $4,000

Tyler Olsen, Ariz. - Brazil, $4,500

Selianna Robles, Ariz.  – South Korea, $4,000

More information about the Gilman International Scholarship Program is at http://www.iie.org/en/Programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program

Information about LWFONSA is at http://barretthonors.asu.edu/academics/scholarships-and-fellowships/.