Alumni Ambassador Program

Year: 2022

Home Institution: University of Washington-Tacoma Campus

Country: Peru

City: Des Moines, Iowa

My perspective has changed towards realizing how impactful one person can be with a certain mindset and awareness of the needs of others around them. I have been able to transition my ambitions in a way that will benefit others instead of just focusing on my own success.

Year: 2022

Home Institution: Arizona State University

Country: South Korea

City: Parker, Arizona

I see everything as a learning experience. There is always something you can learn. I now take as many opportunities that come my way and engage in as much learning as I can.

Year: 2022

Home Institution: University of California - Santa Barbara

Country: Denmark

City: Los Angeles, California

Being away from home also made me appreciate my home country and culture. Experiencing a different way of life abroad made me realize the unique aspects of my hometown that I took for granted. It gave me a deeper sense of belonging and pride when I came home.

Year: 2022

Home Institution: University of Maine

Country: France

City: Auburn, Maine

My study abroad experience broadened my horizons by exposing me to different educational approaches. The experience of navigating daily life in a foreign environment also cultivated my problem-solving skills and adaptability. I learned to overcome language barriers and adapt to new situations, fostering a greater sense of self-reliance and confidence.

Year: 2007

Home Institution: Morehouse College

Country: United Kingdom

City: Dallas, Texas

Year: 2017

Home Institution: University of Georgia

Country: Italy

City: Atlanta, Georgia

Studying abroad showed me there is an entirely different world out there for me to experience and I haven’t stopped wanting to find those new experiences since.

Year: 2022

Home Institution: University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Country: Ireland

City: Bellevue, Nebraska

My Gilman Program experience influenced what I do now by showing me that there is so much that can be done peacefully in order to avoid wars and other smaller conflicts. The experience also taught me many reconciliation methods that I can use to help my community (the Indigenous community) heal from our own traumas.

Year: 2021

Home Institution: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Country: South Korea

City: Arlington, Virginia

Year: 2022

Home Institution: Indiana University - Bloomington

Country: South Korea

City: Fremont, Indiana

Studying abroad is not a “one-and-done” experience and continues to shape you! My time abroad not only opened opportunities for my academic and career paths, but aided in building the foundation of who I am today.

Year: 2022

Home Institution: College of Wooster

Country: Argentina

City: Takoma Park, Maryland

The Gilman Program helped me explore new academic and personal interests by giving me the opportunity to go on my dream study abroad program! Studying topics like the intersection of social and economic movements, and economic development more broadly, from a different global perspective was a paradigm shifting experience.

Year: 2018

Home Institution: University of Rhode Island

Country: France

City: Providence, Rhode Island

One of the most important takeaways I had from my study abroad experience is that the world is small. We have more in common than we think and when people see that you are interested in their culture, they become more interested in yours.

Year: 2021

Home Institution: University of Maryland - College Park

Country: Israel (Virtual)

City: Rockville, Maryland

The Gilman Program positively influenced my academics and career. During my Gilman Program experience, I learned how to collaborate with students and faculty from different cultural backgrounds, regions, and time zones across the world.

Year: 2023

Home Institution: Spelman College

Country: Spain

City: Princeton, New Jersey

Studying abroad made me more aware of my culture and upbringing. My experience allowed me to identify with people from different backgrounds and, even though I had to adapt to a new culture, it allowed me to view my culture from a different perspective.

Year: 2022

Home Institution: Macalester College

Country: Netherlands

City: Virginia, MN

My Gilman Program experience allowed me to travel to Brussels, Belgium with the Gilman Brussels Study Tour, where my interest in international law and diplomacy was strengthened. I am more interested in international law now than ever!

Year: 2022

Home Institution: Iowa State University

Country: Kenya

City: Des Moines, Iowa

Studying abroad is something everyone needs to experience. Put your fears to the side and take a chance.

Year: 2022

Home Institution: University of South Florida

Country: Italy

City: Tallahassee, Florida

Year: 2018

Home Institution: University of North Georgia

Country: Spain

City: Rockingham, Virginia

My Gilman Program experience has been a defining journey that not only facilitated my personal and professional growth but also ignited a deep passion for promoting educational opportunities for underrepresented communities.

Year: 2022

Home Institution: Grand Canyon University

Country: Spain

City: Keaau, Hawaii

The Gilman Program has influenced me to encourage other prospective college students to study abroad. I believe that everyone has the right to an international education and to learn from different cultures other than their own.

Year: 2021

Home Institution: Oregon State University

Country: South Korea

City: Coos Bay, Oregon

My Gilman Program experience influenced what I do now because, thanks to their array of opportunities and information, I learned about the possibility of studying abroad. Thanks to Gilman Program seminars on different topics, I met other scholars and alumni whose careers and stories inspired my own innovative and creative ideas.

Year: 2022

Home Institution: Mount Holyoke College

Country: South Korea

City: New York, New York

Studying abroad broadened my outlook on the world and granted me with so many more perspectives. As an American living in the U.S, I was always on the more comfortable and confident side of the language spectrum. Going to Korea, I experienced the opposite as I tried to communicate in Korean. This deepened my understanding and helped me better understand the realities for those who are living in countries where their first languages are not spoken.

Year: 2022

Home Institution: University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Country: Australia

City: Papillion, Nebraska

The Gilman Program allowed me to study the changing climate in coastal ecosystems, which has inspired me to continue learning about this subject in a M.S. Graduate Assistantship in Environmental Toxicology at the University of South Alabama.

Year: 2023

Home Institution: University of Maryland-College Park

Country: Cuba

City: Silver Spring, Maryland

The Gilman Program had a huge impact on me through its international relations workshops, foster my interests. This Gilman Program allowed me to study in Cuba, which not many get to go to due to restrained relationships. Studying abroad perked my interest in seeking more opportunities abroad and made me eager to learn about other cultures and cultures.

Year: 2022

Home Institution: University of Connecticut

Country: United Kingdom

City: Stamford, Connecticut

Year: 2022

Home Institution: University of Tennessee - Knoxville

Country: Kyrgyzstan

City: Sweetwater, Tennessee

My Gilman Program experience reinforced my belief that studying foreign languages is incredibly important to building mutual understanding across the world.

Year: 2023

Home Institution: University of Miami

Country: Ecuador

City: Miami, Florida

My Gilman Program experience reinforced my interest in the wider world and inspired me with the desire to work abroad to explore new places and cultures. Through the Gilman Program I was able to explore my passion for marine science, and compare the Pacific Ocean, which I had never laid eyes on before, to my home along the Atlantic Ocean.