Elizabethtown College International Business major Zulma Escalante ’24 was recently awarded the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, to study abroad for the spring 2023 semester at the University of Granada, Spain.
“The Gilman Program will not only help me financially throughout my study abroad experience, but it will also open new doors of networking and skill development opportunities,” Escalante said. “I’m excited to see where this opportunity leads me!”
The Gilman Scholarship is part of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and is supported by the Institute of International Education (IIE). The program looks to fund students who have been historically underrepresented in studying abroad.
This year, more than 4,000 students applied for the scholarship, with just 1,500 awards given out.
In addition to studying International Business, Escalante is pursuing a minor in Spanish and is part of Elizabethtown College’s Momentum program, which offers first-generation college students resources throughout their first two years at college, such as career and graduate school preparation, financial literacy, cultural enrichment, and leadership development on campus and in the local community. She also serves as Vice President of the Latinx/Hispanic Student Union, Treasurer of the Middle Eastern Culture Club, and is a Kinesis Peer Academic Advisor.
“As a Kinesis Peer Academic Advisor in the Momentum Program, Zulma has been developing skills in servant leadership and peacemaking,” Director of Special Programs and Prestigious Scholarships & Fellowships, Jean-Paul Benowitz said. “Now, through the U. S. Department of State’s Gilman Scholarship, Zulma will learn the art of citizen diplomacy while studying abroad in Spain, thus fulfilling our motto of ‘Educate for Service.’”
Since 2009, 27 Elizabethtown College students have been awarded the Gilman Scholarship, with 9 of them being Momentum students.
The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship
The U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program enables students of limited financial means (i.e. Federal Pell Grant recipients) to study or intern abroad, providing them with skills critical to our national security and economic prosperity. The Institute of International Education has administered the program since its inception in 2001.
