Source: US State of Connecticut
A record-breaking 31 UConn students have been awarded a Gilman Scholarship in the latest cohort of the prestigious academic award. The award is congressionally funded through the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs at the State Department.
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.
The 31 UConn students, who will study in 14 different countries, will receive a total of nearly $94,000 in scholarship funds through the Gilman program. A total of 40 UConn students have earned Gilman awards in the last two cohorts, this one and October 2024, for a total of more than $121,500 in scholarship funding.
Students applying for Gilman Scholarships work with advisors in UConn’s Office of National Scholarships & Fellowships (ONSF) and Experiential Global Learning (EGL). Rachel Gleicher, an advisor in EGL, and Michael Cunningham, assistant director of ONSF and UConn’s Fulbright program advisor, are UConn’s two Gilman certifying advisors.
“We are very excited that the Gilman program has selected so many UConn students this cycle,” says Cunningham. “It’s a testament to the quality of our students and to the hard work that they put into their applications.”
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.
“We are so proud of these students for staying determined and focused on their study abroad goals,” says Gleicher. “Amid uncertain times, with federal funding freezes and broader uncertainty, they remained committed to their aspirations. Now more than ever, it is crucial to ensure students are aware of the funding opportunities available to them.”
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:
Carina Adams-Szabo ’27 (CLAS), a psychology and political science major from Greenwich, who will be studying neuroscience this summer in Salamanca, Spain.
Ashley Barragan ’27 (NUR), a nursing major who will be studying at the University of Dublin Summer Applied Research for Nursing Practice in Dublin, Ireland.
Rhys Brauer ’27 (CLAS), a psychological sciences major, who will be studying neuroscience this summer in Salamanca.
Brooke Catellier ’26 (CAHNR), an allied health major, who will be studying the Mediterranean diet and Tuscan cuisine in Florence, Italy, this summer.
Kylene Chino ’26 (CLAS), a human rights and political science major, who will be studying in the fall at the Pusan National University in Shanghai, China.
Jaiyliah Cochran ’25 (CLAS), a microbiology major, who will be studying field ecology this summer in Limpopo Province, South Africa.
Mia Dansby ’26 (BUS), a management major, who will be studying this summer at ISI in Florence.
Andrea D’Oleo ’27 (NUR), a nursing major from East Hartford, who will be studying in the Dublin Summer Applied Research Program for Nursing Practice in Ireland.
Danyelix Echevarria Figueroa ’28 (ACES), a pre-teaching major from New Britain, who will study next spring at the University of Grenda in Grenda, Spain.
Dahiana Fernandez-Ramirez ’26 (CLAS), a psychological sciences major, who will be studying this fall at ISI Florence.
Adiriana Garcia Vazquez ’25 (CLAS), a cognitive science major from Bridgeport, who will be studying this fall at the Interdisciplinary Ethnography Field School in Mauritius.
Hannah Ginste ’26 (CLAS), a communications major, who will be doing a summer internship in London.
Jessica Glowacki ’25 (CLAS), a biological sciences major who will be studying field ecology this summer in Limpopo Province, South Africa.
Emma Hazard ’27 (CAHNR), a diagnostic genetic sciences major, who will be studying the Mediterranean diet and Tuscan cuisine in Florence this summer.
Danecia Henry ’28 (BUS), a management major from New Haven, will be studying in the summer at Camino de Santiago in Spain.
Ty’Laisha Huff ’27 (NUR), a nursing major from Hartford, will be studying at the Dublin Summer Applied Research Program for Nursing Practice in Ireland.
Layan Jahaf ’28 (CLAS), a political science and Arabic and Islam civics major, who will be studying this fall in London.
Dee Jerome ’26 (CAHNR), an allied health sciences major from Bridgeport, who will be studying this summer in Accra, Ghana.
Evelyn Pazan ’27 (CLAS), a finance and German major, who will be studying during the 2025-26 academic year at the University of Mannheim in Germany.
Danielle Phillips ’27 (CLAS), an individualized major in industrial and labor relations from Bridgeport, who will be studying this summer at the Intercultural Leadership Program in Strasbourg, France.
Jocelyn Ramirez ’26 (BUS), a management major from New Haven, who will be studying this summer at ISI.
Jamie Ross ’27 (CLAS), a physiology and neurobiology major, who will be studying next winter in Barcelona, Spain.
Ellie Sanders ’27 (CAHNR), a nutritional sciences major from West Cornwall, who will be studying the Mediterranean diet and Tuscan cuisine in Florence this summer.
Fabio Silveira ’26 (CLAS), a pathobiology major, who will be studying neuroscience this summer in Salamanca, Spain.
Amber Szymanski ’26 (CLAS), a political science and human rights major, who will be studying this fall at the Pusan National University in Busan, South Korea.
Angel Uchupailla ’26 (CAHNR), an allied health major from Stamford, who will be studying this winter in Rome.
Lyric Vargas ’27 (CLAS), a political science and psychological science major, who will be studying this fall at the University of Lisbon in Portugal.
Erica Wong ’26 (CLAS), a political science and urban and community studies major, who will be studying this fall at Fudan University in Shanghai, China.
Morgan Xu ’26 (ENG), a materials science and engineering major from Chesire, who will be studying this fall at the National University of Singapore.
Ada Yeung ’27 (CLAS), an individualized major, who will be studying next spring at Fudan University.
Maggie Zheng ’27 (BUS), an accounting major, who will be studying next spring at Fudan University.
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