International Scholars

Two Georgia Southern seniors, Alyson Gilbert and Rebecca Henderson, have been awarded the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship and will spend the fall 2014 semester studying abroad in South Korea at Keimyung University in Daegu, Korea.

Established by the International Academic Opportunity Act of 2000, the Gilman Scholarship Program provides awards for U.S. undergraduate students who are receiving Federal Pell Grant funding at a two-year or four-year college or university to participate in study and intern abroad programs worldwide.

Valued at $3,500 each, Gilman Scholarships are sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, which fosters mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries to promote friendly, sympathetic and peaceful relations. The students were selected based on essay applications, and their proposed follow-up projects promoting the Gilman Scholarship and the study abroad program.

Gilbert, a fashion merchandising and apparel design major with a minor in studio art, is from Blakely, Georgia. She says she felt relieved after receiving the award. “I had been religiously checking my email 10 or more times a day for the last two weeks waiting to hear back,” she said. “I was ecstatic to call my mother and let her know that I received the scholarship.” Gilbert is a Guest Services assistant with Georgia Southern’s University Housing Department. In addition, she served as the 2013-2014 president of the Korean Club student organization.

Henderson, an accounting major with a minor in fraud examination, is from South Thomaston, Maine, and a member of Beta Gamma Sigma. She says she was ecstatic to learn the news. “To be honest, I screamed and ran downstairs to tell my mother,” she said. “This award is going to help me greatly in the pursuit of my studies.” – Rebekah Faulk