Students Go Global
The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships are enabling seven Aztecs to study abroad this semester.
At a time when student participation in study abroad programs is steadily climbing, so, too, is the number of San Diego State University students receiving the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship.
A record 22 SDSU students received these awards in 2012-2013, up from five in 2008-2009. During the current academic year, 13 SDSU students have been offered Gilman Scholarships with applications for summer still pending.
The scholarships of up to $5,000 provide opportunities for diverse students with financial need to have international experiences as undergraduates.
This spring semester, the scholarship is supporting seven SDSU students studying abroad in France, Senegal, Dubai, China, Spain and Italy.
For Anastasia Papadin, a junior majoring in hospitality and tourism management, the scholarship provides the financial support to study at the Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona in Spain.
“At first it was hard to adjust, but I am now feeling confident in this city,” said Papadin, who arrived in Barcelona last month. “I have met so many amazing people here from all over the world and have seen a side to living life that is completely new to me. To take courses from professors who are from all over Europe really opens my eyes to see different ways of approaching things.”
About 4,500 miles away from Papadin, Ahmed Moalim has begun a semester-long stint in the United Arab Emirates. While studying at the American University in Dubai, he’s gaining insight into the Middle East, where he hopes to begin his career upon graduation in December.
Moalim, an international business major and first-generation college student, received a scholarship from the Clinton Presidential Foundation in addition to the Gilman Scholarship.
Other Gilman Scholars studying abroad this semester include:
- Altina Jones, an international business major, is an intern with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) at its mission in Dakar, Senegal, located in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Mike Nguyen, an international business major, is participating in the SDSU exchange program at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
- Alma Ortiz, an international business major, is completing a semester exchange program at ESSEC Business School in Cergy, France.
- Ivan Hernandez, a business administration major, is participating in the SDSU exchange program at John Cabot University in Rome, Italy.
- Guadalupe De La Garza, a business administration major, is participating in the SDSU Dual-Degree program at KEDGE Business School in Marseille, France.
Globetrotting Aztecs
This group of Gilman Scholars joins thousands of SDSU students taking part in an international educational experience this year. During the 2011-2012 academic year, 1,610 SDSU students studied abroad, and that number climbed to more than 1,800 the following year.
According to Ryan McLemore, an education abroad advisor in SDSU’s International Student Center, one factor contributing to increasing participation is the high value students place on international experiences for attaining academic, professional and personal goals in a global society.
“These experiences are widening students’ perspectives of what’s possible, igniting new ideas and inspiring their interests,” McLemore said. “We see students coming back more energized and excited about their academics and interested in activities and directions they may not have thought of before their international experience.”
