Junior Kimberly Mendez Awarded Gilman International Scholarship

December 11, 2014

Kimberly M. Mendez, a junior student at DePauw University, is the recipient of the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to study or intern abroad during the spring 2015 academic term.  Mendez, a conflict studies and education studies double-major, will be participating in the SIT Comparative Education & Social Change Program in Chile.

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Gilman Scholarships have been awarded to 800 American undergraduate students from 356 colleges and universities across the U.S.

Gilman scholars receive up to $5,000 to apply towards their study abroad or internship program costs.  The program aims to diversify the students who study and intern abroad and the countries and regions where they go.  Students receiving a Federal Pell Grant from two- and four-year institutions who will be studying abroad or participating in a career-oriented international internship for academic credit are eligible to apply.  Scholarship recipients 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. 

The awards honor Congressman Gilman, who retired in 2002 after serving in the House of Representatives for 30 years. He states, "Study abroad is a special experience for every student who participates.  Living and learning in a vastly different environment of another nation not only exposes our students to alternate views, but also adds an enriching social and cultural experience.  It also provides our students with the opportunity to return home with a deeper understanding of their place in the world, encouraging them to be a contributor, rather than a spectator in the international community."

The program is administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE). 

Access a list of winners here.

DePauw University ranks fifth among the nation's four-year baccalaureate colleges for the number of students studying abroad, up from #6 last year, according to the 2014 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange. Released last month, the report also finds that DePauw is third in the number of students participating in short term study abroad experiences, unchanged from last year.  A total of 492 DePauw students studied abroad. Learn more in this story.

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