"SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Wofford College students recently were among approximately 1,200 undergraduate students from across the country awarded the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs to study or intern abroad this year.

Students awarded scholarships include:

• Holly Stevens, a senior economics, finance and Spanish major, from Nebo, N.C., interned abroad in Dublin, Ireland this summer.
• Anne Gentry, a junior biology and Spanish major from Saint, George, S.C., will study abroad in the fall in Granada, Spain.
• Mae Hoffman, a senior theatre major from Columbia, S.C., will study abroad in the fall in the Czech Republic.

With the addition of these students, Wofford has produced a total of six Gilman Scholars during the 2017 award cycle, which includes study and/or intern abroad experiences in the spring (two students), summer (one student) and fall of 2017 (three students).

Students from 354 colleges and universities across the U.S. vied for the scholarships.

“Wofford students who wish to study or intern abroad should not have to worry about the costs involved,” says Kyle Keith, study abroad coordinator in the Office of International Programs, who himself was a Gilman Scholar. “Wofford’s financial aid transfer policy for semester study abroad, as well as outside scholarship programs, such as the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, make a study or intern abroad experience accessible for many students.” Gilman Scholars receive up to $5,000 to apply toward their study abroad or internship program costs. The program offers grants for U.S. citizen undergraduate students of limited financial means to pursue academic studies or internships abroad, thereby gaining skills critical to our national security and economic competitiveness. 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.

U.S. Congressman Benjamin A. Gilman, who retired in 2002 after serving in the House of Representatives for 30 years and chairing the House Foreign Relations Committee, says, “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)."