Idaho State University student Jamie Call receives Gilman scholarship to study in Spain

Idaho State University senior biology student Jamie Call, from Idaho Falls, has been awarded a $5,000 Benjamin A. Gilman scholarship to study abroad for one academic year in Valencia, Spain.

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program is an international educational exchange program funded through the International Opportunity Act of 2000. It is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and is administered by the Institute of International Education through its Southern Regional Center in Houston. The program is designed to broaden the student population that studies abroad by funding undergraduates who otherwise might not participate due to financial reasons.

Call teamed up with Sharon Sieber, ISU Spanish professor and Fulbright advisor, to complete the necessary documents including an essay regarding career goals, academic goals, and a follow-up project to promote the Gilman Scholarship. After two months of working closely with Sieber, Call submitted the documents and received the scholarship.

"This scholarship means a lot to me. It means that someone thinks my career goals are worthwhile enough to give me a scholarship," said Call, who plans on becoming a physician assistant. "I cannot express enough how grateful I am to Dr. Sieber for all her help in this—she is the reason I was aware of this scholarship, and she helped me a lot throughout the whole process."

The aim of the Gilman program is to support students who have been traditionally under-represented in study abroad programs including students with high financial need, diverse ethnic backgrounds, disabilities, and community college students. The program assists students from a wide range of public and private institutions from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.

Since its establishment in 2001, the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program has awarded 6,428 scholarships to students participating in study abroad programs worldwide. This year, more than 2,300 scholarships of up to $5,000 will be awarded to undergraduates to study abroad. Students who applied and received the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship are then eligible to receive an additional $3,000 "Critical Need Language Supplement" from the Gilman Scholarship Program for a total possible award of up to $8,000. These languages include Arabic, Chinese, Turkish, Persian, Indic, Korean, Russian and Swahili.

For further information about the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program, please visit the website http://www.iie.org/Programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program.aspx.              

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