UNH Today

Eleven students received study-abroad scholarships this spring, and the Center for International Education and Global Engagement (CIEGE) recently honored the recipients of the $22,500 in grants.

The Spring 2017 CIEGE Study Abroad Scholarship Award Ceremony was held in the Hood House Solarium on April 26.

“The students’ energy around going abroad and excitement about receiving a scholarship was palpable,” Gregg Orifici, UNH’s director of global initiatives, said following the event. “UNH is privileged to have generous donors to help make these vital international experiences more affordable.”

This year’s top awards went to Camden Warren ’18 of Alton, New Hampshire, Yamilex Bencosme ’18 of Chicopee, Massachusetts, and Austin Tsao ’19 of Bristol, New Hampshire.

Warren, a history and international affairs dual major, received the Foley-Jackson Award in the amount of $5,000 to study at the Universite de Bourgogne in Dijon, France.

“The committee was very impressed with how Cam has a clear plan for doing independent research while abroad and such a distinct passion for his history major,” Orifici noted of Warren’s selection. “Camden articulated exactly why he wants to study abroad and made an excellent case why Dijon fit both his majors. They also were impressed with his work as an RA and a role model who maintains a positive, inclusive and welcoming community in Fairchild Hall.”

Bencosme, a sociology and women’s studies major, received the Diversity Abroad Award in the amount of $2,500 to study abroad this summer at Chiang Mai University in Thailand.

“It was such an honor to receive the Diversity Abroad scholarship,” she said after the event. “Receiving this award has lifted major stress off of my shoulders ... I am beyond grateful for the Diversity Abroad scholarship as it has opened many doors for me to grow and learn about the world and myself. Moreover, this study-abroad experience will allow me to learn about career options post-graduate school.”

Orifici spoke of her impressive application, noting, “She will be taking courses focusing on human rights and public health in Southeast Asia to expand her knowledge of women’s rights and sex trafficking in Southeast Asia.”

Bencosme hopes to become a sociology professor and an activist for women's rights.

“My research as a McNair Scholar, titled ‘On Our Way to Ending Sexualized Violence: Engaging Bystander,’ inspired me to study women's rights and sex trafficking in Thailand,” she explained. “I want to dive deeper and explore the ways sexualized violence affects women in different parts of the world and gain a global perspective. Further, I want to explore this epidemic and develop new ideas on prevention methods.”

Tsao, a computer science major, also received the Diversity Abroad Award in the amount of $2,500, and will study at the University of Athens in Greece this fall.

Orifici said computer science is an underrepresented discipline for study abroad, noting Tsao “has a strict academic schedule that leaves him little flexibility to study abroad. He selected Greece because it is an uncommon destination for students who study abroad in CEPS, and he wanted to push himself outside his comfort zone.”

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Tsao has taken extra science classes in advance of study abroad because he loves history and Greek mythology and wants to broaden his understanding of the humanities to be more well-rounded.

“This impressed the committee greatly,” Orifici said. “He is also focused on career outcomes as a direct result of studying abroad, specifically, to become a software developer. He feels that the intercultural communication skills he will gain from the experience will enable him to challenge himself in a country where English isn’t spoken.”

Interested in studying or conducting research abroad?

Check out all the many resources UNH offers to help get you where you want to go.

The Center for International Education and Global Engagement is your one-stop shop for all things study abroad, including scholarships. 

The Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research funds international research grants. 

The Office of National Fellowships helps you apply for and receive study abroad scholarships, fellowships and more.