Alumni Ambassador Program
The Gilman Alumni Ambassador Program is a diverse group of Gilman Scholarship recipients who have studied or interned abroad.
Gilman Alumni Ambassadors serve as official representatives of the U.S. Department of State’s Gilman International Scholarship Program. They provide testimonials about their Gilman Scholarship experiences at campus presentations and offer application tips via written articles, videos, webinars, and special events. The Gilman Alumni Ambassadors have been trained by the Gilman Scholarship Program.
Gilman Alumni Ambassadors

Alexander Azar
Year: 2019
Home Institution: Bryant University
Country: Belgium
Living independently taught me a lot about the world and myself.

Anyssa Q. El-Manfaa
Year: 2018
Home Institution: Community College of Philadelphia
Country: Japan
An international experience is for everyone — not just for a small demographic. Support and encouragement is here for you — within the Gilman Scholar community and beyond!

Ayyad Algabyali
Year: 2018
Home Institution: City College of New York
Country: Saudi Arabia
My experiences taught me that diversity is what makes one’s circle stronger.

Christal Juarez
Year: 2019
Home Institution: University of California, Davis
Country: Argentina & Chile
Being abroad helped me connect with myself at a deeper level [and with] what I am interested in and how I want to apply practices and innovations to my own communities.

Daniel Oliveira
Year: 2018
Home Institution: University of California, Davis
Country: Taiwan
Studying abroad helped me gain confidence and empathy.

Daniela Castro
Year: 2017
Home Institution: Florida State University
Country: France
My experiences abroad taught me that the sciences make life livable, but the arts make life worth living.

Gio Albert Caballero
Year: 2018
Home Institution: University of California, Santa Barbara
Country: Taiwan
Invest in relationships and experiences, and view the world with gratitude.

Isaac James
Year: 2018
Home Institution: Rollins College
Country: Morocco
My experience helped me see the beauty of diversity in this world and its people.

Jeydelyn Martinez
Year: 2015
Home Institution: Marquette University
Country: Spain
My study abroad semester taught me that there is no real growth without discomfort.

Katherine Cabrera
Year: 2019
Home Institution: Miami Dade College
Country: Indonesia
Say yes to every opportunity that comes your way. Even if it doesn’t work out, you took a chance and won’t regret it.

Madeline Aviles
Year: 2019
Home Institution: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Country: Thailand
The moments that molded my experience weren’t those I spent sunbathing by the ocean, but the moments I struggled to communicate at night markets, scurried across busy streets and learned the respectful nature of the local culture.

Nancy Tumbarell
Year: 2019
Home Institution: Michigan State University
Country: Japan
Living abroad taught me how to build communities and tear down stereotypes.

Phounsith “Quincy” Yangh
Year: 2019
Home Institution: Gustavus Adolphus College
Country: Nepal
My trajectory as a budding academic, social and environmental justice activist, and global citizen grew tremendously.

Rachel Wong
Year: 2017
Home Institution: Macalester College
Country: South Korea
Being abroad as a Hong Konger American gave me clarity about my own intersectional identity through conversations about American society.

Rebecca Lawson
Year: 2019
Home Institution: University of Iowa
Country: Russia
I stepped out of my comfort zone and it changed me for the better.

Robert Lares
Year: 2018
Home Institution: University of Southern Mississippi
Country: United Kingdom
My disability kept me at home for a long time, but now I realize that in the United States of America, I am the limit of my own potential.

Sarah Geilman
Year: 2018
Home Institution: Brigham Young University
Country: China
While living abroad, I learned that no matter where we live, at our core, we are all people striving to learn, grow and belong.

Van Reynolds
Year: 2019
Home Institution: San Diego State University
Country: France
Qui n'avance pas, recule.
If you're not moving forward, you're moving backwards.

Veronica Tuazon
Year: 2018
Home Institution: Stony Brook University
Country: Madagascar
I gained an invaluable global perspective and an experience I will never forget.

Vlad Blazhievskiy
Year: 2019
Home Institution: Nebraska Wesleyan University
Country: Germany
I was able to customize my experience with my interests and goals; this freedom allowed me to make a positive impression abroad and give back to my home community.
- 2019 Gilman Alumni Ambassadors
- 2018 Gilman Alumni Ambassadors
- 2017 Gilman Alumni Ambassadors
- 2016 Gilman Alumni Ambassadors
- 2015 Gilman Alumni Ambassadors
- 2014 Gilman Alumni Ambassadors
- 2013 Gilman Alumni Ambassadors
- 2012 Gilman Alumni Ambassadors
- 2010 Gilman Alumni Ambassadors
- 2009 Gilman Alumni Ambassadors