77 Gilman Alumni Among 2023-2024 Fulbright U.S. Student Program Recipients

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program is proud to announce that 77 Gilman alumni are represented in the most recent application round of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program partners with over 140 countries to foster cross-cultural dialogue, international exchange, professional development, and to create meaningful connections in a complex and changing world. Encompassing all academic disciplines, Fulbright allows college seniors, graduate students, and young professionals from all backgrounds to pursue graduate study, conduct research, or teach English abroad.

Below are the 2023-2024 Gilman alumni and their type of Fulbright award:

Gilman alumni who receive prestigious awards later in their professional and academic career often cite their Gilman experience as foundational to their interest in intercultural exchange. As Nasya Blackwell, who will serve as an English Teaching Assistant (ETA) in Taiwan, told us:

“My experience as a Gilman scholar influenced me to apply for the Fulbright program because it showed me the importance of being a global citizen and engaging cross-culturally during my study abroad in Costa Rica. My Gilman experience of living with a homestay family in Costa Rica prepared me to spend my Fulbright year actively engaged with my community and students in Taiwan.”

As she prepares for her Fulbright year, Ms. Blackwell is most looking forward to “Being able to bridge my English studies, career goals in international relations, and passion for music and share them with my students and host community in impactful ways. I also look forward to showing my students and community in Kinmen, an island off the mainland of Taiwan, my experience and culture as a Black American woman.”

Fulbright Research Award winner Angel Smith, who will be based in the United Arab Emirates, also points to Gilman as influential to her interest in international experiences:

“As a first-generation, low-income student of color, opportunities to travel outside of my hometown of Denver were limited. Traveling outside of the US was something younger me could only dream about, but that dream became a reality when I was awarded a Gilman Scholarship. My experience outside the U.S. was as a Gilman Scholar in Amman, Jordan. While in Jordan, I took classes examining environmental sustainability issues (my undergraduate minor). Being able to understand environmental sustainability challenges and successes from a non-US-centric lens, underscored the interconnectedness of sustainability issues. A decade later, I am preparing to further examine the relationship between innovation in the MENA region and climate change as a Fulbrighter.”

ETA Marco Bercenas Consuelo wrote, “I do not think I would be preparing to leave for Portugal if it were not for my experience as a Gilman Scholar in Brazil! I received a Critical Need Language Award and learned Portuguese during my time abroad, which allowed me to fulfill the Foreign Language requirement. Additionally, I learned a lot about Brazilian and Portuguese history and literature that influenced my decision to learn more about Portugal and decided to pursue my Fulbright there.”

In addition to teaching English or conducting research, Fulbrighters will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the culture and society of their host country, enjoying unique and unparalleled opportunities for cultural exchange, personal and professional development, language learning, and increased cultural competency.

ETA to Cambodia, Andrew Svabik, told us that “The greatest part of this exchange will be learning from students as I teach them in the classroom. I have already begun coming up with ideas of activities and games to teach English so that my students may enjoy learning. Overall, I aim to embody the Fulbright mission to learn about and embrace this complex nation, while also striving to be a humble representative of Fulbright’s mission of peace, prosperity, and goodwill from the U.S. to Cambodia.”

Stephanie Tilley, a Research Award recipient to South Africa, expressed a similar sentiment as she prepares for her time abroad:

“What I look forward to most about my experience abroad as a Fulbrighter is researching the philosophy that has guided and shaped my life, Ubuntu. Ubuntu, an African philosophy, means “I am because we are” and prescribes to being self through others; it is grounded in community, connection, and solidarity. Ubuntu has given voice to my reality (then and now) and captures the construction of my being and the refuge I find in my social and professional communities. I would not be who I am or where I am without the support and guidance of my networks especially the educators who encouraged me throughout my journey as a learner.”

Some Fulbrighters are accompanied by their family during their grant, giving them a unique opportunity for further engagement with their host country. Research Award winner to Sweden, Jennifer Shaneberger, is one such Fulbrighter. She will be joined by her husband and 10-year-old daughter, and writes, “As a family our reach into Swedish society extends far beyond what I could learn as an individual. I’m grateful that my research led me to Sweden where most adults speak English to varying degrees. My daughter will attend Swedish public school, and my husband and I will attend night classes to learn Swedish. These experiences will help us better understand what it is like to be a migrant in Sweden…I am also very excited to interview politicians, business representatives, citizens, and migrants. To hear all of those different perspectives on a society that is foreign to me will be enlightening. What a privilege it is to do this work and to have my family grow with me along the journey.”

To learn more about the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, and to apply, visit us.fulbrightonline.org.