Three Elizabethtown College students were awarded the highly competitive Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship during the 2022-23 academic year. Zulma Escalante ’24, Wade Cook ’25 and Frida Sanchez-Rosalino ’25 were all named Gilman Scholars.
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, enabling students in the U.S. to gain proficiency in diverse languages and cultures.
This year, more than 4,000 students applied for the scholarship, and only 1,500 awards were given out. Since 2009, a total of 29 Etown students have been named Gilman scholars.
Learn more about this year’s Gilman Scholars below.
Zulma Escalante ’24 (Millsboro, Del.), International Business Major, Spanish Minor, Momentum Program
Escalante is a member of Etown’s Momentum program, which offers resources to first-generation college students throughout their first two years of college, and serves as a Kinesis Peer Academic Advisor, helping other first-generation college students navigate their journey.
During the Spring 2023 semester, Escalante traveled abroad to the University of Granada, Spain.
“The Gilman Program not only helped me financially throughout my study abroad experience, but it also opened new doors of networking and skill development opportunities,” Escalante said.
In addition to her work in the Momentum program, Escalante serves as Vice President of the Latinx/Hispanic Student Union and is Treasurer of the Middle Eastern Culture Club.
Frida Sanchez-Rosalino ’25 (Philadelphia, Pa.), Spanish Education Major, Family Business & Entrepreneurship Minor, Honors Program, Momentum Program
Sanchez-Rosalino is a member of both the Etown Honors and Momentum programs and will be studying at the University of Seville in Spain in Fall 2023. While there, she will improve her language skills and experience rich, traditional Spanish culture. She looks forward to learning European Spanish to expand upon her Spanish experience as a Mexican-American.
“The Gilman Scholarship will fund my academic experience abroad and help me achieve my future career goals as an educator,” Sanchez-Rosalino said. “I am grateful and excited for what is to come.”
The program in Seville offers a course on teaching English to Spanish-speaking students in a local school. Sanchez-Rosalino pointed to her involvement in Etown’s Children’s Spanish Program as preparation for her time in Seville.
Sanchez-Rosalino cites her peer advisor in the Momentum Program during her first year as a major aid in her academic career, as well as support from the Study Abroad Office.
“The peer academic advising helps me understand my educational goals and personal ambitions by providing resources and leadership development,” Sanchez-Rosalino said. “Throughout the semester, the Study Abroad Office and the Momentum program offer sessions to guide and support students intending to study abroad.”
Wade Cook ’25 (Marietta, Pa.), Japanese Major, Asian Studies & Communications Minors
Wade Cook will study in Japan in Hirakata City, Osaka, at Kansai Gaidai University. Etown has a strong history of sending students to Kansai Gadai University through a collaborative exchange program agreement, and many Japanese majors from Etown have received the Gilman Scholarship in the past.
“Through his service in the United States Air Force, Wade developed skills in citizen diplomacy. Living all around the world has given Wade an international perspective seldom found among American undergraduate students,” Director of Prestigious Scholarships Jean-Paul Benowitz said. “As a Gilman Scholar and Kansai Gaidai University, Wade will contribute to building positive international relations as he enters into cultural exchange experiences studying the Japanese language through immersion learning.”
