I’m a junior international business major with an emphasis in
supply chain management. I chose this major due to my interest in the
international community and the relationships business can foster with other
countries. Within that I really enjoyed supply chain due to the vastness of
that area of study; supply chain encompasses everything from where a product
was sourced to how it reaches the consumer.
2. Where will you be going abroad, what will you be doing there
and how will it impact your academics and life goals?
I’m going to Madrid, Spain and attending the Universidad de
Carlos III de Madrid. While I’m abroad, I will be taking courses in
international business and I will be doing so in an international environment,
which I think will give me a unique perspective. I will learn how other
countries conduct business while being abroad, which can give me first-hand
knowledge on topics ranging from economics to cultural differences. It will
also aid me in becoming fluent in Spanish, something I have wanted to
accomplish since middle school. Being bilingual will allow me to communicate
with a broader range of people and will also afford me opportunities in the
business world I may not otherwise get.
3.What is most exciting to you about going abroad?
The most exciting thing to me is the exposure to a different
culture. There is so much for me to learn and I absolutely cannot wait to be
part of something so different than what I am accustomed to. Someone once told
me that when you begin to get too comfortable in your environment, disrupt it
and seek out something that will place you in an alternative, less comfortable
situation because that’s when you learn the most.
4. What does earning this scholarship mean to you?
Earning this scholarship means so so much to me. It will allow
me to accomplish everything I want while abroad. I’ll be able to travel around
Spain and Europe and to really immerse myself in the European culture. I will
be able to go and try everything without limitation. Being selected for a
national award makes me feel incredible and it really eliminated my original
thought of if it’s national, why me? I’ve now adopted the attitude of why not
me? The application process was easy due to the application resources available
and everything being so clearly laid out.
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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.
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.
