Six undergraduate students from Colorado State University have received the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship for summer 2015. The scholarship aims to diversify the students who study and intern abroad, and the countries and regions where they go. Eligible recipients must be receiving a Federal Pell Grant, with plans to study or intern abroad for academic credit.

This summer, 1,000 American undergraduate students from 332 U.S. colleges and universities received the Gilman Award.

CSU Gilman Scholarship recipients

Kayla Beverly, a sophomore psychology and international studies double major from Conifer, Colo., will complete a three-month CSU-sponsored internship as an events assistant with Shanghai Business Review magazine in Shanghai, China. Kayla, who has a minor in Chinese language, also received a $2,000 Office of International Programs China Scholarship to fund her experience this summer.

Junior Malissa Gill, a hospitality management major, will study Japanese language and culture on a CSU-sponsored program in Kagawa, Japan, this summer, earning credits toward her minor in Japanese. Malissa is from Aurora, Colo., and also received CSU’s Mona Mitchell Education Abroad Scholarship for Students with Disabilities, which provides an additional $500 of funding for her program.

Austin Johnson, a social work major with a minor in criminology, will study for six weeks in Prague, Czech Republic, on CSU’s Criminology & Criminal Justice Program with CSU faculty member Tara Shelley. Austin is a junior from Basalt, Colo.

Maryann Lasco, a first-generation student originally from Rawlins, Wyo., will also participate in CSU’s Criminology & Criminal Justice Program in Prague. Maryann is a junior sociology major with a minor in criminology, and will be interning with the Fort Collins Police Department as a crime analyst this fall. She hopes to draw comparisons between the Czech and American criminal justice systems.

Freshman Veronica Villalobos, a first-generation student studying languages, literatures and cultures as well as international studies, will complete a study abroad program through the American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS) in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Veronica is from Boulder, and is studying Portuguese. She hopes to teach abroad after graduation.

Aurora native Kayla Banks will participate in a program through the University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC) in Santiago, Chile, which includes both academic coursework and an internship. Kayla is a senior dance major, with minors in arts leadership and merchandising.

Scholarships and support

During the academic year, Student Financial Services partners with Education Abroad to offer financial aid advising and workshops for students who are considering going abroad on a study, research, internship or service-learning program. Hosted twice a semester, Gilman Scholarship Information Sessions provide students with specific application tips and helpful advice from experts in the application process. Advisers are also available to assist with essay development and feedback.

In addition to federal financial aid like the Gilman Award, the Office of International Programs awards more than $200,000 annually in need- and merit-based scholarships for education abroad, with the average scholarship recipient receiving $750. The Education Abroad office oversees programs in nearly every country around the world and provides support services to students, including advising, orientations, outreach, program coordination and risk management oversight.

For more information about education abroad opportunities and funding, visit the Education Abroad website.