Two Nazareth students selected as Gilman scholars
Nazareth College is proud to announce that two of its students have earned prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships from the U.S. Department of State. Briannah Rice was set to study abroad in Pescara, Italy this past summer with the scholarship, and Bryanna Roos would have been studying in Berlin this fall. The global pandemic delayed both of those study abroad opportunities, and the Department of State is allowing the Gilman Scholarships to be used in 2021.
Briannah Rice '22, '23 is a junior completing a dual degree in psychology and music education, so she'll graduate in both 2022 and 2023. She is excited to reschedule her study abroad to Pescara, Italy, next summer. If all goes according to plan, she will study Italian literature and Italian language.
"I am so elated and honored to have been awarded this scholarship, knowing its national impact and reach," said Rice. Her long- term career plans are to become a choral conductor and teach at the collegiate level.
Bryanna Roos '21 is a senior biomedical sciences major with minors in clinical laboratory science and pre-med. She is the first Nazareth student to earn the Gilman-McCain Scholarship, in honor of the late Senator John McCain and given to child dependents of parents in military service. There are only 100 Gilman-McCain awards given each academic year.
Roos would have participated in a unique study abroad in Berlin program, taking three academic courses in German history; 20th Century German theatre, film, literature; and conflict and peace studies for the first half of the program. "During the second half of the program I was going to be doing an internship at a local hospital so that I could shadow doctors within the different departments of a German hospital," said Roos. She also would have been studying the German language throughout the semester.
Knowing she was going into her senior year but couldn't study abroad with the scholarship was a bittersweet moment.
"When I first learned of my scholarship I was excited because I knew this was something that not many people from Nazareth have earned and it is very competitive," said Roos. "By the time I received the email telling me I was awarded this scholarship, I had already received the email telling me the trip to Berlin had been cancelled due to COVID."
Roos is now in the process of applying to medical school, so her plans for Berlin are up in the air while she waits for med school acceptance letters.
Gilman Scholars receive up to $5,000 toward their study abroad or internship program costs with additional funding available for the study of a critical language overseas. The Gilman Scholarship supports American undergraduate students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad and, since 2001, has enabled more than 25,000 outstanding Americans to engage in a meaningful educational experience abroad. The program has successfully broadened U.S. participation in study abroad, while emphasizing countries and regions where fewer Americans traditionally study.
The late Congressman Gilman, for whom the scholarship is named, served in the House of Representatives for 30 years and chaired the House Foreign Relations Committee. When honored with the Secretary of State's Distinguished Service Medal in 2002, he commented, "Living and learning in a vastly different environment of another nation not only exposes our students to alternate views, but adds an enriching social and cultural experience. It also provides our students with the opportunity to return home with a deeper understanding of their place in the world, encouraging them to be a contributor, rather than a spectator in the international community."
The Gilman Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and is supported in its implementation by the Institute of International Education (IIE).
Nazareth University is an inclusive community of inspired learners, educators, and changemakers who for nearly 100 years have been driven by a bold commitment to action, empathy, equity, and leading innovation for the common good. Impact experiences are at the heart of a Nazareth education, preparing each student to discover within themselves the potential to cultivate positive change in their life's work, in any career field, and in a world that is constantly evolving and infinitely interconnected.
Our broad academic offerings present a range of study options typical of larger universities, yet achieved in our supportive campus culture. Nearly 2,100 undergrad and 600 graduate students enroll in degree and certificate programs and engage in collaborative, transformative learning experiences, preparing for the professions and society of today and tomorrow. In a learning community that purposefully integrates liberal arts and professional programs, Nazareth University graduates are able to launch a lifetime of impactful leadership in communities and workplaces near and far.
Bryanna Roos (left) and Briannah Rice earn prestigious Gilman scholarships for study abroad.