The Gilman Scholarship, a prestigious academic award congressionally funded through the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs at the State Department, has been awarded to eight UConn students for the current application cycle.

The funding supports expanding student participation in study abroad programs and encourages travel to diverse locations around the globe, along with intensive language study and internship experiences.

Students applying for Gilman Scholarships work with advisors in UConn’s Office of National Scholarships & Fellowships (ONSF) and Experiential Global Learning (EGL). Laura Hills, associate director of EGL, and Michael Cunningham, assistant director of ONSF and UConn’s Fulbright program advisor, are UConn’s two Gilman certifying advisors.

Upon their return from studying abroad, each Gilman Scholar is required to complete a service project in their campus or home community with the goal of sharing the value of participation in study abroad and promoting the scholarship to prospective students. Applications are reviewed with consideration for the proposed follow-up service project.

Eligibility for the Gilman Scholarship requires undergraduate students to be Pell Grant-eligible United States citizens who plan to study abroad for academic credit through a program approved by their home institution. Supporting students with high financial need provides access to students who are historically underrepresented in study abroad, including first-generation college students, STEM majors, ethnic and racial minority students, students with disabilities, LGBTQ+ students, and others who experience barriers to participation.

Students from underrepresented areas of the U.S. are also considered during the application process and this year there are recipients from all 50 states.

The following UConn students were selected as Gilman Scholars in this cycle, and they are listed with the location of where they will study as part of the program:

Nicholas Benda ’25 (CLAS), a maritime studies major from Preston, who will study the ecosystems and biodiversity in the Galapagos at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito in the spring semester.

Alexandra Bradley ’25 (CLAS), an English major from Tolland, who will study at L’Institut Catholique de Paris in the spring semester.

Hanna Gjetaj ‘26 (BUS), a marketing major from Stamford, who will study business and economics in London in the spring semester.

Hannah Hidalgo ’26 (NUR), a nursing major with a minor in human development and family sciences, who will study nursing at various locations in Rwanda this summer.

Angelina Larracuente ’26 (CLAS), a psychological sciences and communications major from Fairfield, who will study in the multicultural psychology program at The Umbra Institute, in Perugia, Italy, this summer.

Ama Kissi ’25 (CAHNR), an allied health sciences major from East Hartford, who will study the Mediterranean diet and Tuscan cuisine in Florence, Italy, this summer.

Sidratul Muntaha ’26 (CLAS), a political science major with a human rights minor from Bristol, who will study at the Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, this summer.

Deon Portes ’25, an individualized crime, law and inequality major from Bristol, who will study in Heredia, Costa Rica, in the spring semester.