CEHS student earns Gilman Scholarship for education abroad

13 Jan 2022    

Elizabeth Graham, a senior nutrition and health sciences major from Gallup, New Mexico, has earned the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to support credit-bearing study abroad, internship abroad or virtual international opportunities. The Gilman is a nationally competitive scholarship awarded twice a year by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and administered by the Institute of International Education.

Graham will be participating in the Zambia and Ethiopia program scheduled for summer 2022. The program focuses on food security, health and nutrition and is led by Mary Willis, professor in the Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences.

“Helping others has always been important to me, which is why I am working towards becoming a physician’s assistant,” said Graham. “I believe an important aspect of health care is being able to experience different cultures and geographical regions so that I can have a better understanding of how to help those in need.”

The Gilman scholarship represents underrepresented undergraduates who might not otherwise participate due to financial constraints and aims to encourage students to study and intern in a diverse array of countries and to study languages — especially critical need languages.

“Having the opportunity to study abroad in Zambia seemed like a dream come true as I get to explore a different area of the world, all while gaining knowledge for my future career, which would not be a possibility for me without the Gilman Scholarship,” Graham said. 

Gilman Scholars receive up to $5,000 to apply toward program costs and may receive up to an additional $3,000 to study a critical language.

In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Gilman program is allowing recipients to use their scholarships to pursue online courses or virtual intensive language programs at institutions based outside of the United States, virtual faculty-led study abroad programs or virtual international internships through summer 2022. The program also regularly updates its list of eligible countries for student participation in accordance with the U.S. Department of State’s travel advisories.

In addition to advising students during the Gilman application process with the Office of National and International Fellowships, Nebraska’s Education Abroad Office continues to support students seeking to go abroad in alignment with the university’s and Department of State’s travel policies. The office has also expanded global virtual learning opportunities in response to the pandemic, including adding new Global Experience courses, remote internships and affiliated virtual programs.

The next cycle of Gilman scholarship applications is due March 1. Interested students should contact the Education Abroad Office at educationabroad@unl.edu or visit the Gilman Program website for more details.