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6 Loyola University Chicago Students Awarded the Gilman International Scholarship!

6 Loyola University Chicago Students Awarded the Gilman International Scholarship!

August 2, 2016

Six Loyola University Chicago students were awarded the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs for Fall 2016/Academic Year 2016–2017. They were selected along with over 850 American undergraduate students from over 324 colleges and universities across the U.S.

  • Gretta Goodin, a junior, has won the Gilman Scholarship for the Fall 2016 semester to study at The Beijing Center. She is majoring in Finance and minoring in Psychology.
  • Robert Hernandez, a senior, has also won the Gilman Scholarship for the Fall 2016 semester to study at The Beijing Center.  He is majoring in Software Engineering and minoring in Finance.
  • Johanna Jimenez, a junior majoring in Anthropology, has won the Scholarship to study at Loyola’s Global Partner Program, USAC, in San Ramon, Costa Rica during the Fall 2016 semester.
  • Jessica Mendez, a senior majoring in Information Systems and International Business with a minor in Advocacy and Social Change, has won the Scholarship to study at Loyola’s Global Partner Program, USAC, in Seoul, Korea during the Fall 2016 semester.
  • Georgia Mitrakos, a sophomore part of the new Quinlan BBA U.S./Europe Double Degree program at Loyola University Chicago, has won the Gilman Scholarship to study at the Universidad Loyola Andalucía during the 2016-17 Academic Year. As part of the program, all students spend one year in Seville, Spain at Universidad Loyola Andalucía, one semester at the John Felice Rome Center, and the remain semesters in Chicago.   
  • Katrina Ramirez, a senior, has won the Gilman Scholarship for the Fall 2016 semester to study at Loyola’s Jesuit University Partner Program, Universidad Alberto Hurtado, in Santiago, Chile. She is majoring in English and minoring in Spanish and Latin American Studies.

Gilman scholars receive up to $5,000 to apply towards their study abroad or internship program costs.  The program aims to diversify the students who study and intern 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 a career-oriented 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 host country, is available on their website: www.iie.org/gilman. According to Allan Goodman, President and CEO of IIE, "International education is one of the best tools for developing mutual understanding and building connections between people from different countries.  It is critical to the success of American diplomacy and business, and the lasting ties that Americans make during their international studies are important to our country in times of conflict as well as times of peace."

Loyola University Chicago students who are interested in applying for the Gilman International Scholarship should contact the Fellowship Office and OIP.