I was selected as a 2025 recipient of the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program based on academic merit, leadership potential, and a demonstrated commitment to public service. Administered by the U.S. Department of State, the Gilman Scholarship is designed to expand access to study abroad for Pell Grant recipients while advancing U.S. economic competitiveness and national security.
By enabling students from diverse backgrounds to gain international experience and bring that perspective back to American institutions, the program treats study abroad as a public investment. This page documents my completed follow-on service project as part of that commitment.
My follow-on service project consisted of two public-facing blog posts published on my Medium and Substack channels, one written prior to my study abroad experience and one written after its completion. Together, these posts were designed to promote the Gilman Program, explain its national value, and encourage other Pell Grant-eligible students to consider studying abroad.
The first post documented a delay in the disbursement of my Gilman Scholarship funding and included the text of a letter I sent to my U.S. Senators advocating for continued, reliable funding of the program. The piece explained the purpose of the Gilman Scholarship, highlighted its role in advancing U.S. economic competitiveness and national interests, and encouraged other students to learn about and apply for the program.
The second post, written after returning from Scotland, reflected on how studying international and business law abroad contributed to my professional development and clarified the value of international experience for American students. The post framed study abroad as an investment in human capital that benefits both individuals and U.S. institutions, and it concluded with informational guidance directing readers to the Gilman Program website for further details.
Together, these posts raised awareness of the Gilman Scholarship, demonstrated its impact, and promoted study abroad as an accessible and valuable opportunity for students from diverse backgrounds.
- March 20, 2025: Trump’s Budget Freeze Delayed My Scholarship
- January 2, 2026: Thinking About International Exposure and Professional Value
