Nine VCU students receive Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships

Contact: Nicol Tinsley
VCU Global Education Office
(804) 828-6463
nctinsley@vcu.edu

Richmond, VA (May 24, 2022) - Nine Virginia Commonwealth University students have been awarded study abroad scholarships through the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program. The scholarships will enable the students to study abroad during summer and fall 2022 and spring 2023. Approximately 3,000 undergraduate students across the nation were selected to receive the Gilman scholarship and will intern or study at 536 U.S. colleges in 91 countries.

Due to the lack of study abroad opportunities the past two years because of the pandemic, the number of students awarded excites VCU’s Director of Education Abroad, Stephanie Tignor.

“We are all delighted to see so many students receive the Gilman this cycle,'' she stated. “The news of the recipients is especially sweet as it represents a return to study abroad after a long hiatus due to the global pandemic.”

This group of Gilman scholars represents the most significant number of awardees among VCU students since before 2020. Some of the awardees were offered the scholarship previously during the last two years, but had to decline it due to travel restrictions related to the pandemic.

“It is especially satisfying to see those students finally fulfill their dreams of studying abroad,” Tignor stated.

Tignor notes that the Global Education Office’s mission to offer more global learning opportunities to VCU students synchronizes with the goals of the Gilman scholarship program.

“VCU is proud to have such a strong number of Gilman awardees as our office's mission to increase access to global learning experiences for all students aligns with the scholarship's vision to diversify study abroad through the types of students who participate and the fields of study and destinations in which they study abroad,” she stated.

The following VCU students received the Gilman scholarship for study abroad in the upcoming semesters:

Sara Abdel-Hamid, a junior majoring in psychology in the College of Humanities and Sciences, received a scholarship to study at Korea University in Seoul, South Korea, through International Studies Abroad (ISA). Abdel-Hamid is from Falls Church, Virginia.

Ashanti Brantley, a senior majoring in dance and choreography in the School of the Arts, received a scholarship to participate in the “Dance in Paris” program in the heart of Paris, France, this summer. Brantley has resided in Cleveland, Ohio and Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Ashanti Brantley

MiJin Cho, a senior double majoring in psychology and English in the College of Humanities and Sciences received a scholarship to study in South Africa.

Ruth Haileselassie, a senior majoring in political science with a concentration in international relations in the Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, received a scholarship to participate in the Rabat MS Study Program in Morocco where she will be strengthening her language skills in Arabic. Haileselassie is originally from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and grew up in Arlington, Virginia.

Diana Kovalchuk, a senior majoring in sculpture in the School of the Arts received a scholarship to study abroad in Florence, Italy, through Santa Reparata International School of Art (SRISA). Kovalchuk is from Reston, Virginia.

Natalia Mangaroo, a senior majoring in environmental science in the VCU Life Sciences program received a scholarship to study at The Sant'Anna Institute in Sorrento, Italy. Mangaroo is from Richmond, Virginia.

Mel Ramos, a junior majoring in computer engineering, received a scholarship to study abroad with the University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC) organization. He will be studying at the Kwansei Gakuin University (KGU) in Nishinomiya, Japan, fall 2022. Ramos is from Norfolk, Virginia.

Raelyn Rozmus, a senior studying fashion merchandising in the School of the Arts, received a scholarship to participate in the Santa Reparata International School of Art’s summer program in Florence, Italy. She is from Chesapeake, Virginia.

Raelyn Rozmus

Sofia Simmons, a senior who is double majoring in criminal justice and homeland security and emergency preparedness in the Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, received a scholarship to participate in the “January in Cape Town” program in Cape Town, South Africa through the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE). Simmons was originally from Houston, Texas, before moving to Richmond, Virginia.

Gilman scholars receive up to $5,000 to apply toward their study abroad or internship program costs. The VCU Education Abroad office and National Scholarship Office work with students to develop competitive applications.

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program supports undergraduate study abroad and was established by the International Academic Opportunity Act of 2000. This scholarship provides awards 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. The scholarship program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and Institute of International Education.