June 4, 2021
In the eighth grade, Denise Gonzalez went to Costa Rica on a trip with her school, World Language Academy in Hall County, Georgia. Since then, the University of North Georgia (UNG) sophomore has wanted to study abroad.
"I have been working on the weekends to save money and applying for as many scholarships as I can," said Gonzalez, who is pursuing a degree in accounting.
Her efforts proved fruitful. Gonzalez was one of nine UNG students to receive a Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. This program provides up to $5,000 to help underrepresented students study abroad. The grant also provides up to $8,000 to critical language study.
"Once I got the scholarship, I was so happy that my plans to study abroad in South Korea will become a reality," said the 19-year-old from Flowery Branch, Georgia.
The other eight UNG students who earned a Gilman scholarship are:
Another eight UNG recipients earned Gilman scholarships in fall 2020.
"We are very excited for the UNG students who received Gilman scholarships," said Dr. Kathryn Quinto, fellowships adviser for the Nationally Competitive Scholarships office at UNG. "Their hard work and persistence helped them to seek this opportunity, and they will maximize the chance to have an educational experience immersed in another culture."
For some like Cooper, the experience will be delivered online because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I won't have a totally immersive experience, but I will have classes and one-on-one time with other students from Taiwan," the 20-year-old said. "Through the program, I will strengthen my listening, reading and speaking skills. And it will be in the summer, so I won't have any distractions. I can just focus on improving my Chinese."
Other students plan to defer their scholarships to a later date. For example, Christensen plans to use the Gilman in the spring 2022 semester for an extended stay in France. The 19-year-old spent four weeks there as a high school student.
"I would benefit from a longer period of study, because I want to become fluent in French," Christensen said, adding it would help his future career goals. "I want to become a diplomat or work for a government agency or become a Foreign Service officer."
Students interested in learning more about nationally competitive scholarships, including Gilman, should visit ncsadvising.ung.edu or email ncs@ung.edu for more information. Students interested in learning about study abroad opportunities through various programs may visit UNG's Center for Global Engagement.