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Gilman Scholars and Freeman Awards Announced

This summer 15 Â鶹ÊÓƵ (USF) students of more than 1,150 American undergraduate students from 377 colleges and universities across the U.S. were selected to receive the prestigious , sponsored by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs to study or intern abroad during the summer 2016 academic term.

The Gilman Scholarship Program received more than 3,400 applications for summer term, and 15 USF students—the university's largest cohort yet—were offered awards to participate in credit-bearing study abroad programs and career-oriented internships in countries all around the world.

Students from a variety of majors will be traveling from Argentina to South Korea and multiple other locations in between. Congratulations to the following students:

• Omar Amin, Argentina, International Relations
• Melissa Bianchi-Ramos, China, International Business
• Beatriz Daquioag, Argentina and Uruguay, Marketing
• Juan Jimenez, Japan, Mechanical Engineering
• Elton Jonuzaj, Italy, Health Sciences
• Luke Kemner, China, International Studies
• Jermaine Lewis, Japan, International Business
• Kathryn Ospino, Argentina, Biology
• Lisa Park, South Korea, Microbiology
• Petalgay Pennycooke, Costa Rica, Psychology
• Isallys Quinones, South Korea, Sociology
• Stephanie Radu, Spain, Biomedical Sciences
• Sindy Sankar, South Korea, Marketing
• Naser Shareef, Ghana, Cell and Molecular Biology
• Ginna Woo, China, International Business/Political Science

Gilman Scholars receive up to $5,000 to apply toward their study abroad program costs. Recipients of the scholarship have the opportunity to gain a better understanding of other cultures, countries, languages, and economies — making them better prepared to assume leadership roles within government and the private sector. All recipients are required to carry out a Follow-on Project to share information about the Gilman program within their university and community.

The (Freeman-ASIA) provides scholarships for U.S. undergraduate students with demonstrated financial need to study abroad in East or Southeast Asia. A Freeman-ASIA Award provides need-based funding to assist the recipient with the cost of the study abroad program and related expenses, including airfare, basic living costs, local transportation, books, and more. The summer award amount is valued up to $3,000.

Within one month of returning from studying abroad, Freeman-ASIA Award recipients are required to provide feedback on their study abroad experiences and to fulfill their service project requirements based on their application proposals.

Both scholarship programs are administered by the Institute of International Education. According to Allan Goodman, President and CEO of IIE, "International education is one of the best tools for developing mutual understanding and building connections between people from different countries. It is critical to the success of American diplomacy and business, and the lasting ties that Americans make during their international studies are important to our country in times of conflict as well as times of peace."

The USF (ONS) identifies, recruits, and mentors high achieving students to apply for national merit scholarships across all disciplines. The scholarships and fellowships are for creative, motivated, and academically strong students who are leaders in and out of the classroom. Students are encouraged to contact ONS to speak with a scholarship adviser.