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

Alexis Reed
Year: 2017
Home Institution: University of New Orleans
Country: Japan
City: New Orleans, Louisiana
I see myself as a change maker to push the needle towards racial justice and equity.

Amanda Cortes
Year: 2019
Home Institution: Georgetown University
Country: Spain
City: New York City, New York
Studying abroad helped me develop the skills to be versatile and flexible in changing environments.

Charles Ford III
Year: 2017
Home Institution: Florida State University
Country: Ghana
City: Miami, Florida
International service and learning are key components of being a member of the global community and capture the importance of helping one another.

Elle Smith
Year: 2022
Home Institution: Virginia Tech
Country: Switzerland (virtual)
City: Richmond Virginia
I have disabilities, a single parent, am from a rural area, and have a low socioeconomic status, but I was able to have an international experience thanks to the Gilman Scholarship.

Ishmael Williams
Year: 2018
Home Institution: Howard University
Country: Peru
City: Washington D.C.
As a career counselor, I am helping students better their thoughts, actions, and lives.

Jasmine Whaley
Year: 2012
Home Institution: Elon University
Country: Jordan
City: Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Studying abroad gives you an additional layer of nuance that is crucial for understanding the political dynamics of a country and, by extension, the world.

Kofi Asante Asamoah
Year: 2017
Home Institution: Villanova University
Country: Ghana
City: Boyds, Maryland
I am grateful for the opportunities in which the Gilman Program has provided for me over the past few years, including being able to study public health while engaging in an insightful medical internship in Ghana and being able to meet leaders in various industries through Gilman seminars.

Kyla Denwood
Year: 2021
Home Institution: Tulane University
Country: Global (virtual)
City: Washington D.C.
In pursuing this internship, I also learned to be flexible and open to new opportunities.

Kyle Hetherington
Year: 2021
Home Institution: Pima Community College
Country: Spain (virtual)
City: Tucson, Arizona
The Gilman Program gave me an opportunity to explore a different culture and reaffirmed my love of public service.

Madhat Fares
Year: 2017
Home Institution: Villanova University
Country: United Arab Emirates
City: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
By studying abroad, I found that I enjoy learning about people and their traditions while sharing my own.

Marina Shenouda
Year: 2021
Home Institution: University of Houston
Country: Mexico (virtual)
City: Houston, Texas
Studying abroad with Gilman motivated me to learn more about health systems in other countries.

Nathaniel Sandoval
Year: 2021
Home Institution: University of Rhode Island
Country: Spain (virtual)
City: Providence, Rhode Island
The Gilman Program impacted my passions and interests by tapping into a field I've always wanted to operate

Nicole Bettè
Year: 2014
Home Institution: University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Country: Sweden
City: Nashua, New Hampshire
The most memorable and fulfilling experiences don't happen in the classroom; they happen with the friendships you cultivate while abroad.

Nicole Rothenberger
Year: 2018
Home Institution: University of North Dakota
Country: South Korea, 2018
City: Grand Forks, North Dakota
Don't limit yourself to what you are comfortable with because it's harder to grow if you stay complacent.

Nyamal Gatluak
Year: 2021
Home Institution: Iowa State University
Country: South Korea
City: Los Angeles, California
The Gilman Program allowed me to learn more about topics I'm passionate about.

Ryuu Uchiha
Year: 2018
Home Institution: University of Arizona
Country: Japan
City: Peoria, Arizona
While abroad, you can gain new knowledge, look at things from a different perspective, and figure out who you are.

Samantha Raghu
Year: 2019
Home Institution: Gustavus Adolphus College
Country: Thailand
City: Champlin, Minnesota
Gilman provided me with the resources and confidence to prioritize creating pathways of opportunities abroad in my future endeavors.

Scout Osburne
Year: 2019
Home Institution: Oregon State University
Country: Mexico
City: Chicago, Illinois
To study abroad was to see different ways of life: how similar and distinct our cultures and ways of thinking really are.

Silvana Barbosa
Year: 2018
Home Institution: Providence College
Country: Thailand
City: Washington, DC
The Gilman Program helped me affirm my passion for public health and recognize the importance of investing in the environments in which people grow, work, live, and play.

Tracy Evatt
Year: 2021
Home Institution: Wright State University
Country: Costa Rica (Virtual)
City: Dayton, Ohio
Challenging myself is something I always want to strive toward. Gilman has allowed me to gain better communication skills and confidence in the unknown.

Wisaam Haj
Year: 2019
Home Institution: Santa Barbara
Country: France and Italy
City: Santa Barbara, California
Upon my return, I internalized a desire to step beyond the confines of the familiar and work towards becoming a globally minded citizen.

Xandria Akau
Year: 2019
Home Institution: University of Hawaii at Hilo
Country: France
City: Honokaa, Hawaii
I gained a wider perspective by meeting and working with students from all over the world.
- 2021 Gilman Alumni Ambassadors
- 2020 Gilman Alumni Ambassadors
- 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