Two Elizabethtown College Students Named Gilman Scholars

Two Elizabethtown College students were awarded the highly competitive Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship during the 2024-25 academic year. Emely Guevara ’24 and Aida Andino-Guzman ’26 were 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.

“Every time an Elizabethtown College student is awarded a Prestigious Scholarship or Fellowship it is a celebration of their unique gifts, talents, strengths, and academic achievements,” Elizabethtown College Director of Prestigious Scholarships and Public Heritage Studies, Jean-Paul Benowitz said. “When our students study abroad, they are involved with what the U. S. Department of State calls ‘Citizen Diplomacy.’ Our students are positively contributing to international relations through building strong interpersonal relationships with people abroad, which is consistent with our College’s Educate for Service motto.”

This year, more than 5,000 students applied and approximately 1,700 students received the award, with Gilman Scholars studying abroad in more than 90 countries. Since 2009, a total of 31 Etown students have been named Gilman Scholars. Learn more about this year’s recipients below.

Emely Guevara ’24, International Business Major Concentrated in Finance

During the Spring 2024 semester, Guevara studied abroad at Stellenbosch University in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, which is known for using its academic excellence and research activities for finding sustainable solutions to some of South Africa and Africa’s greatest challenges. She chose Stellenbosch University because of its focus on inclusivity and diversity.

“As a first-generation student, being named a Gilman Scholar granted me the opportunity of a lifetime, allowing me to be the first on both sides of my family to travel abroad to a country as beautiful and diverse as my DNA,” Guevara said. “I am living not only my dream but the dreams of those who travelled hundreds of miles on foot to America so that a little girl could get an education and live her dream of being a lawyer. I can finally say I am building a stepping stone for the rest of the generations after me.”

Guevara, who intends to attend law school and practice international law, was involved in the Stellenbosch University’s Voluntarism and Community Engagement (VCE) program, where she worked toward achieving the program’s mission of eradicating poverty, promoting human dignity, democracy, human rights, health, safety, and security.

Aida Andino-Guzman, ’26, Psychology and Spanish Dual Major

Andino-Guzman will study abroad during the upcoming Fall 2024 semester at the University of Stirling in Central Scotland. Scholarships for students studying in the United Kingdom are extremely competitive due to the high number of students who choose to study in the United Kingdom.

“To me, being a Gilman Scholar means having the opportunity to fulfill my academic and professional potential with less financial burdens,” Andino-Guzman said. “I’d like to thank the Prestigious Scholarships and Fellowships Office, specifically Professor Benowitz, for all the guidance and help provided during the application process.”

Andino-Guzman is passionate about reading and collecting books, studying literature, architecture, art, and photography. She chose to study at the University of Stirling because it is situated on the site of the 18^th century Airthrey Castle featuring a fine art collection comprising over 300 works including paintings, tapestries, and sculpture. The University of Stirling and the landscape of the Airthrey Castle are two of the United Kingdom’s top 20 heritage sites designated by the International Council on Monuments and Sites.