Campus Life

Texas A&M Announces Gilman Scholarship Recipients

The Institute of International Education announced that five Texas A&M students received the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship.
February 22, 2012

Benjamin A. Gilman International ScholarshipThe Institute of International Education announced that five Texas A&M University students received the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship for the spring 2012 semester studies abroad. Sylvia Carmona will study in Argentina; Lonisa Early, in Brazil; Candy Reyes, in Germany; Kimberly Soto, in France; and Marco Zapata will study in China. These scholarships assist students with program expenses like housing, tuition, fees and travel expenses.

Carmona, an international studies major and psychology minor, will pursue Spanish studies in Buenos Aires.

“International experience serves a purpose that gives students the bigger picture and lets us know that we live in a diverse world. Also, the experience will contribute to my goal once I graduate to work as a foreign correspondent for CNN,” Carmona said.

Early, an animal husbandry major, will study in Recife, Brazil, taking animal science and Portuguese courses.

“I can benefit professionally by understanding Brazilian practices and interests in animal agriculture, and I will be eligible for an internship with a Brazilian company,” Early said.

Reyes, a biomedical sciences major and business minor, will study at Germany Biosciences Semester program in Bonn, Germany, on a Texas A&M faculty-led program with Jeremy Wasser, Judith Ball and James Moore.

“Living with a host family and studying at a German university with other students will help me to be surrounded by the language and culture daily. I hope this experience will lead me to my future career in physical therapy with an enhanced knowledge in medicine and other cultures,” Reyes said.

Soto, an international studies and anthropology major, with a minor in French language and literature, will study French in Angers, France, on the Texas A&M-Universite Catholique de l’Ouest France Language and Culture Semester hybrid faculty led-transfer credit program.

“Angers is a city with rich history, where I can experience French language immersion with a host family, and I hope to find an internship in Paris, France. My goal post graduation is to teach French,” said Soto.

Zapata, an economics major with a minor in Southeast Asia studies and Chinese language and literature, will study Chinese in Chengdu, China.

“I will take Mandarin and economics courses, so that one day, I can have a job in which I conduct U.S.-China trade interactions. Knowing how to deal with the largest country in the world will become an indispensable task because they offer a great place for growth,” Zapata said.

The Gilman Scholarship was founded by the International Academic Opportunity Act of 2000 with support from the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs. The Gilman Scholarship provides more than 2,300 awards annually in amounts up to $5,000.

For more information on the Gilman Scholarship, visit the organization’s website.

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