Gilman Scholarship

I am planning on doing multiple small projects to promote the Gilman Scholarship and encourage more students to participate in study abroad. My project would center on social media and my campus community. My target audience would consist of low-income college students who, like me, hope to study abroad but are in need of financial aid. The purpose of these projects will be to inform students that study abroad is possible, even with their financial situation, due to all the financial aid that is available.

Social media is an important influence in my generation. I first learned about the Gilman Scholarship through a YouTube video. Therefore, I know firsthand the impact of social media, and I know it is my duty to use this tool to inform people

The International Students and Scholars Office at my school has a great program in which students who have studied abroad can volunteer as student advisors. They usually discuss with potential study abroad students any questions or concerns they have about their program. I went to the study abroad office multiple times, and they have helped me tremendously. They also connected me with a former student who went to South Korea through CIEE last summer. While she is no longer volunteering with the study abroad office, she is still willing to meet with me to help address some of the concerns I have, such as scheduling. Knowing someone who has already taken the same steps I must take has definitely made the process easier. Because the Study Abroad Office has helped me so much, I want to pay it forward by offering the same kind of help that I have received. In the future, people I have helped will likely end up helping others as well. In this way, my role in the Study Abroad Office will benefit not only me but also others who come after

My school holds an annual study abroad fair in the fall. Since my program will take place from August to December of 2016, I would not be able to complete this part of the project that same year and will have to delay it until the 2017 fall fair. Many students attending the study abroad fair have questions about the process and how they can raise the necessary funds. I, myself, went to this fair in 2015 to talk to the representatives from different programs. Like me, the students who attended this fair were most concerned about how to fund their study abroad plans. While they knew that various scholarships exist, they found the application process overwhelming. I hope to address this important concern by participating in the 2017