Six UNH students are studying in five different countries this semester with the support of the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship program, which supports global internships or study abroad.
This year’s Gilman recipients, the second-highest number in UNH history, include Olivia Bourdon '18, Athena Ryan '18, Rebecca Philibert '19, Trevor Harcourt '18, Attilio CrimiVaroli '20 and Josie Davis '18. They received a total of $17,500 in Gilman scholarships.
Olivia Bourdon '18, a dual major in English literature and international affairs with a minor in French, is studying at the Center for International Education at the University of Burgundy in France. The Holyoke, Massachusetts, resident also will conduct research on Europe’s refugee crisis, specifically in France, for her international affairs major.
Athena Ryan '18 is on the island of Bonaire participating in a marine ecology and conservation program that aligns with her marine biology major. While there, Ryan, a McNair scholar from Montville, Connecticut, will work on her own research project.
Realizing the Dream
“For me, the Gilman Scholarship is both a key and a gateway,” Rebecca Philibert '19 says. “It's the key that has helped me realize this dream of studying abroad by greatly easing the burden of expenses, but it is also a gateway to greater things because it has allowed me to become part of an amazing network of international professionals and other students like myself who see travel as one of the best ways to learn.”
Want to make your dream of studying abroad come true? Contact the UNH Office of National Fellowships and ask about the Gilman Scholarship.
Rebecca Philibert '19 is in Peru taking classes at the Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola in Cuzco, furthering her anthropological studies by focusing on the Inca civilization and the history of Cuzco. A dual major in anthropology and Earth sciences, Philibert, of Goffstown, New Hampshire, also will be honing her Spanish language skills.
Josie Davis '18, of Dover, New Hampshire, an environmental conservation and sustainability major with a minor in wildlife and conservation biology, is in New Zealand participating in student research projects.
Trevor Harcourt '18 is studying Latin American health care and medical Spanish at the Universidad Veritas in San Jose, Costa Rica. The Nottingham, New Hampshire, resident and emergency medical technician is a dual major in biomedical science (medical veterinary sciences) and Spanish.
Attilio CrimiVaroli '20 of Highland, New York, is at the Institute for American Universities in Aix-en-Provence, France. A Paul scholar, CrimiVaroli is majoring in business administration, with a concentration in international business, and minors in French and Italian.
“Having six winners this cycle is a testament to the energy and commitment that UNH is putting into internationalization efforts,” says Jeanne Sokolowski, director of the UNH Office of National Fellowships. “Students are supported throughout the whole study-abroad process — choosing a program, securing funding, preparing to be abroad and, upon return, adjusting to life back in the U.S. and learning how to articulate the value of that experience to potential employers.”
A program of the U.S. Department of State, Gilman scholarships provide up to $5,000 to students traveling on university-approved programs that are four weeks or longer. To be eligible, a student must be a Pell grant recipient. Since the program’s inception in 2001, more than 78,000 applications have been received and more than 22,000 scholarships have been awarded.
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Written By:
Jody Record ’95 | Communications and Public Affairs | jody.record@unh.edu
