Five UMass Boston students among 1,413 selected
A record number of UMass Boston students have received a scholarship through the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program, meaning they will be able to afford to study abroad this spring. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Gilman Scholarship Program is an undergraduate program designed to enable U.S. citizens of limited financial means to study abroad.
More than 5,000 students applied for the scholarship. Out of the 1,413 students selected, five students are from UMass Boston: Jamica Morson will be studying in London and Cape Town, South Africa; Adelmar Martins will be studying in Lisbon, Portugal; Kiara Hernandez will be studying in Lyon, France; and Kassandra Lopez will be studying in Puntarenas, Costa Rica. Another student was selected for a scholarship to London, but is unable to go.
Gilman scholars receive up to $5,000 to apply toward their study abroad or internship program costs. Hernandez, a senior women’s, gender, and sexuality studies major from Boston, said she wouldn’t be able to go to France were it not for this scholarship.
“The cost of studying abroad was a major source of stress for me when I was thinking about applying to a program,” Hernandez said. “The Gilman Scholarship will cover the rest of my program fees after my financial aid has been applied, which is a huge relief! I am grateful that I will have significantly less debt after I finish my program. Gilman also provides many resources for its recipients for going abroad, so I will be even more supported in this process, which gives me more peace of mind.”
Hernandez has taken three semesters of French at UMass Boston and is looking forward to being immersed in a French speaking environment so she can take her language skills to a new level.
“I know studying there will improve my fluency in the language. I’m excited to experience living on my own outside of Boston—meeting new people from all over the world—and to do some traveling in Europe,” Hernandez said.
Lopez is a double major in sociology and communication who will be finishing up her junior year in Costa Rica.
“As a first-generation Latinx student, I am very grateful for the opportunity to continue my studies within a different cultural environment,” Lopez said.
Martins is a junior political science major who will be studying at ISCTE- Lisbon University Institute in the spring.
“The understanding of people, experiences, circumstances, and the different fabrics that are woven into each individual help to create meaningful connections among people. The creation of this bridge of understanding is my driving force for studying abroad,” Martins said.
Morson, a senior psychology major from Boston, is a seasoned traveler. She spent a semester in Senegal and stopped at the Giza pyramids in Cairo, Egypt on her way home. Her scholarship will pay for her studies in both Cape Town and London.
“After spending a semester in Senegal, I found a new appreciation for African culture and wanted to explore a different country on the continent. I chose London as my second destination because it is an extremely culturally diverse city,” Morson said. “This scholarship is important to me because it allows me to be able to comfortably afford a semester of learning abroad.”
Applications for the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program will open up again next month. The deadline to apply for summer, fall, winter, and spring programs is March 3, 2020.
To learn about this and other scholarship and study abroad opportunities, visit the Office of Global Programs’ website.