Four Mount Students Awarded Gilman Scholarships for Summer Programs
5/27/2016
Riverdale, N.Y. – Four students from the University of Mount Saint Vincent have won Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships for summer 2016. Amanda Arteaga ’17, Ylfete Bashaj ’18, Maya Diaz-Polanco ’18, and Savannah George ’18, are four of over 1,150 American undergraduate students from 377 colleges and universities across the U.S. selected to receive the prestigious scholarship, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
The scholarship recipients will study abroad in collaborative, independent service programs during the summer 2016 academic term. Ylfete Bashaj and Maya Diaz-Polanco will both study in Morocco; Savannah George will study in Ecuador with IPSL; and Amanda Arteaga will study in Peru with the College Consortium for International Studies (CCIS), a partnership committed to developing international dimensions as an integral part of collegiate education.
Since the start of the 2015 academic year, seven Mount students have been awarded Gilman Scholarships. During the fall 2015 semester, Ideline Gomez ’16 spent three months in Cusco, Peru, and Danica Luc ’16 traveled to Thessaloniki, Greece, where in addition to helping Greek students improve English language skills, she was able to join the cause to help Syrian refugees who had arrived on Greece’s shores. During the spring 2016 semester, Selina Macias ’17 studied abroad in Guayaquil, Ecuador, where she volunteered with the Father Damien Foundation, providing care to elderly patients who suffered from leprosy.
The Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship Program aims to diversify the students who study and intern abroad, as well as the countries and regions where they travel. Scholarship recipients have the opportunity to gain a better understanding of other cultures, countries, languages, and economies—making them better prepared to assume leadership roles within government and the private sector.
About the University of Mount Saint Vincent
Founded in 1847 by the Sisters of Charity, the University of Mount Saint Vincent offers nationally recognized liberal arts education and a select array of professional fields of study on a landmark campus overlooking the Hudson River. Committed to the education of the whole person, and enriched by the unparalleled cultural, educational and career opportunities of New York City, the College equips students with the knowledge, skills and experiences necessary for lives of achievement, professional accomplishment and leadership in the 21st century.