CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — With 24 students offered Gilman Scholarships to study abroad in the latest competition cycle, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign maintained its ranking among the top producers of award recipients. “An unprecedented 80% of Illinois applicants won the award this term, cumulatively earning over $100,000 toward their studies abroad,” said David Schug, the director of the National and International Scholarships Program at Illinois. “As a result, we will have Illini from five different colleges, plus the Division of General Studies, representing their school across four continents as Gilman Scholars.”
The Gilman recipients below are listed by their hometowns in Illinois, their majors and their study destinations. A recipient from Taiwan follows the list of Illinois hometowns.
Anna — Conner Jerolds, urban studies and planning, Denmark
Armstrong — Mikaela Robertson, earth, society and environmental sustainability, United Kingdom
Bolingbrook — Samantha (Sammie) Kern, psychology, Germany
Chicago — Joy Bowling, sustainable design, Italy; Leandra Camphor, general studies, South Africa; Amy Chen, economics, actuarial science, United Kingdom; Zitlalli Paez, global studies, Ecuador; Vanessa Salgado, animal sciences, Costa Rica; Emma Walkowiak, global studies, Taiwan; Kimberly Wilborn, undeclared, Costa Rica
Crystal Lake — Sora Ogawa, animal sciences, United Kingdom
Glenview — Jung (Chris) Park, marketing, information systems, South Korea
Hanover Park — Jasmine Robinson, accountancy, United Kingdom
Heyworth — Lilyanna Williams, linguistics, Costa Rica
Hillside — Antonio Pelayo, integrative biology, Ecuador
Libertyville — Brendan Rattin, molecular and cellular biology, Taiwan
Lisle — Callie Walsh, agricultural and biological engineering, Ireland
Niles — Gabriela Kaminski, history, United Kingdom
North Barrington — Katie Lach, marketing, Spain
Palos Hills — Normante (Norma) Grabauskaite, speech and hearing science, Spanish, Spain
Skokie — Shaleena Kanjee, marketing, Singapore
Tinley Park — Thomas L (Tommy) Hull, finance, Austria
Urbana — Michelle Miller, management, Austria
New Taipei, Taiwan — David Chu, political science, Austria
Named for former congressman Benjamin A. Gilman from New York, the Gilman Scholarship Program is funded by Congress and sponsored by the Department of State. It aims to diversify the U.S. students studying and interning abroad by offering grants to those with limited financial means. To be eligible to apply, students must be federal Pell Grant recipients.
In addition to study abroad awards of between $3,000 and $5,000, scholarship recipients may be eligible for an additional Critical Need Language Award if they are studying languages such as Arabic, Russian and Swahili.
U. of I. students receive assistance on their Gilman applications from the Office of Student Financial Aid, their study abroad office, and the National and International Scholarships Program.