Outstanding Undergraduates Expand Horizons in Germany, China, Jordan and Morocco

CLEVELAND – Four outstanding Cleveland State University students have been awarded prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, to study abroad this summer.

CSU’s Gilman Scholars are:

• Marcella Johnson, a junior majoring in communication management, studying in Berlin, Germany;
• Shannon Johnson, a junior majoring in finance, studying in Beijing, China;
• Samantha Kash, a senior majoring in health sciences, studying in Amman, Jordan;
• Monica Ward, a senior majoring in international relations, studying in Rabat, Morocco.

These CSU students are among 700 undergraduates from 270 colleges and universities across the United States who received Gilman Scholarships for the 2013 summer term. Gilman Scholars receive up to $5,000 to apply toward their study-abroad program costs. A limited number of students also receive additional funding for language study, for a total award of $8,000.

"Cleveland State University is extremely proud of our Gilman Scholarship winners," said Julie Good, manager of education abroad programs in CSU’s Center for International Services and Programs. "Our Gilman Scholars embody CSU’s emphasis on Engaged Learning. They’re ambassadors for CSU and for Cleveland, and the fresh international perspectives that they’re gaining this summer will enrich our campus and our community upon their return."

The Gilman Scholarship Program aims to diversify the students who study abroad and the countries and regions where they travel. This program provides scholarships for U.S. undergraduate students who are receiving Federal Pell Grant funding at a two-year or four-year college or university to participate in study-abroad programs worldwide.

Recipients of the scholarship 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. The program is administered by the Institute of International Education

For the 2012-2013 academic year, the program has offered a total of more than 2,800 scholarships, the largest annual number of Gilman awards to date. Since the establishment of the program by the International Academic Opportunity Act of 2000, more than 13,000 students nationwide have received this award

"Study abroad is a special experience for every student who participates," said retired New York Congressman Benjamin A. Gilman, who served in the U.S. House of Representatives for 30 years and chaired the House Foreign Relations Committee. "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."