I am a Senior and I am
pursuing a BFA with an emphasis in education. I enjoy working with people to
bring out their creativity and artistic talents so becoming an art teacher
makes perfect sense for me.
Where will you be going abroad, what will you be
doing there and how will it impact your academics/degree
completion/life goals?
I will be studying
Italian Renaissance History and Book Making while I am in Italy. I am so
excited to have the museums of Rome as my classroom as I will have the chance
to see masterworks of art in person rather than through slides. During my free
time on the weekends, I also hope to chase down the contemporary art scene to
see what artists are working on today. This will give me a knowledge base to
draw from and help me to be an effective teacher. I used to love hearing my
teachers tell me about the places they traveled to and what they encountered
while abroad, so I am thrilled to have some stories of my own that I can pass
on and hopefully spark an interest in my students to get out and see the world.
What are some of the more unique/interesting details
of your study abroad program?
Italy is famous for its
production of beautiful handmade papers so I can't wait to go shopping in the
markets for such treasures to work with in my book making class. My instructor
has made arrangements for the class to visit local artists in their studios so
I am looking forward to meeting practicing Italian artists. I am curious to see
what art materials are available in Italy that I have not seen in the US. I
hope that by collecting these special items and sharing them, I can inspire my
future students to be bold and creative with new materials.
What is most exciting to you about going abroad?
This will be a personal
growing experience for me as I am married and have three children at home. I
have never been away from my family for that long, but my kids are excited for
me and I think it is important to set an example of independence for my girls.
Everyone should have their own goals and dreams and they can have it while
balancing a family. I will have many wonderful things to share with my family while
I am away and when I return and the time will pass quickly.
I can't imagine
securing the Gilman scholarship on my own as the judges are not really looking
for an academic essay. It does need to be well written and proper grammar and
punctuation is important, but it needs to go further and be personal. Most
writing that we do in college is the exact opposite of that and I am very
grateful that I had support from a study abroad advisor.
Talk with your advisors
and let them get to know you because they can take that information and help
you frame it into the strongest essay possible. It was stressful and I made
several major changes to my essay, but in the end it was well worth it.
What does earning this scholarship mean to you?
I am excited about
winning a nationally competitive scholarship as I feel that it will give me the
edge over other applicants when a decision comes down to the wire about who a
school will hire. The Gilman will be talked about throughout my teaching career
so I can have a chance to tell students about higher education and all of the
opportunities that it entails, like earning scholarships to study abroad; I
want to encourage young people to go see the things that inspire them and I am
happy that I can honestly tell kids there are ways to get there if they only
try.
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About the Benjamin A. Gilman International
Scholarship Program
The Benjamin A. Gilman
International Scholarship Program
(http://www.iie.org/Programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program) offers grants for U.S.
citizen undergraduate students of limited financial means to pursue academic
studies abroad. Such international study is intended to better prepare U.S.
students to assume significant roles in an increasingly global economy and
interdependent world.
