Six Cleveland State University students have been selected to receive the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.

The students will receive up to $5,000 to apply towards study abroad experiences around the world.  They are among the 1,200 students from over 360 colleges and universities who have been awarded scholarships for summer 2018. The CSU recipients are:

• Chandra Bynum will study creative writing at London Metropolitan University in Great Britain.
• Sarah Scadden will take a course in linguistics at the University of Tartu in Estonia.
• Imani Stephens will travel to Viterbo, Italy to study art history.
• Tyisha Blade will study travel writing at John Cabot University in Rome.
• Saiida Bowie will take a class in African studies at the University of Ghana in Legon.
• Alison Vincent will study health sciences at University College, London.

The Gilman Scholarship was created in 2001 and provides financial support to assist American undergraduate students in studying or interning abroad. It has enabled more than 25,000 students to engage in meaningful international education experiences, broadening U.S. participation in study abroad generally, while emphasizing countries and regions where fewer Americans traditionally study.

The late Congressman Gilman, for whom the scholarship is named, served in the House of Representatives for 30 years and chaired the House Foreign Relations Committee. When honored with the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Service Medal in 2002, he commented, “Living and learning in a vastly different environment of another nation not only exposes our students to alternate views, but 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 Gilman Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and is supported in its implementation by the Institute of International Education (IIE).

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