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
Tracy Navichoque
Year: 2012
Home Institution: Northwestern University
Country: Turkey
As your ear becomes attuned to a new language, your other senses become more receptive, observing gestures and detecting sounds that lead you to realize the multiplicity of and necessity for communication.
Adaure Nosiri
Year: 2018
Home Institution: University of Georgia
Country: Ghana
The Ghana service-learning program opened my eyes to critical needs concerning nutritional literacy and resources, both nationally and internationally.
Alondra Flores
Year: 2017
Home Institution: McHenry County College
Country: Costa Rica
My experience abroad taught me not all classrooms have four walls.
Kelly “Vee” Kennedy
Year: 2013
Home Institution: Eastern Michigan University
Country: Japan
My study and teach abroad program changed the direction of my life and directly led to my first career after college.
Darnell Sharperson
Year: 2018
Home Institution: University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
Country: France
My self-identity has been recharged, and I possess a whole new perspective on it. It is now more necessary than ever to have a global presence and be represented.
Chelsey Brown
Year: 2016
Home Institution: Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University
Country: Morocco
I developed a world view of appreciation, empathy, and respect.
Austin Thorn
Year: 2018
Home Institution: University of Missouri-Kansas City
Country: Peru
This experience gave me the confidence to believe I was on a path towards something greater.
Cody Ritz
Year: 2018
Home Institution: Brigham Young University
Country: Rwanda
It’s important for us to remember that not everyone shares our beliefs, customs, or traditions – and that’s okay. We have to step outside of our own bubble and try to understand the world from different perspectives.
Ahmed Ismail
Year: 2018
Home Institution: Iowa State University
Country: United Kingdom
My experience taught me that I do not need to limit my college experiences to what I can afford, but to pursue the opportunities that I want to have.
Jonathan Rabanal
Year: 2018
Home Institution: Johnson County Community College
Country: Japan
Studying at J.F. Oberlin University gave me the opportunity to live like the local students and immerse myself in their culture and knowledge.
Hanusia Higgins
Year: 2017
Home Institution: Washington University, St. Louis
Country: Madagascar
I learned how conservation works on a global level and how the desire to conserve natural places impacts the people who live in those places.
Jaylen Wingfield
Year: 2015
Home Institution: University of Delaware
Country: Barbados
Working with the HIV/AIDS Commission of Barbados, I had the opportunity to explore the roles that sexual health and habits play into the Caribbean culture, while also exploring the social work and mental health professions.
Errienna Mckenzie
Year: 2017
Home Institution: Ohio State University, Columbus
Country: Tanzania
Studying abroad allowed me to observe first-hand the unique challenges faced by those on the front line of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, strengthening my passion for a career in public health.
Kilian Kelly
Year: 2018
Home Institution: University of South Florida
Country: Dominican Republic
The most impactful part of my experience was being able to share in daily life with my host family and experiencing the reality of life in communities on the north coast.
Manessa Lormejuste
Year: 2015
Home Institution: Rutgers University, New Brunswick
Country: France
Studying abroad truly changed the trajectory of my life. It offered me a unique competitive advantage that separated me from my peers.”
Marshall Sherrell
Year: 2017
Home Institution: University of Washington
Country: Japan
Studying abroad made world issues personal.
Kayla Jackson
Year: 2018
Home Institution: University of Oklahoma
Country: Italy
What began as a simple trip abroad ended as a life-changing experience for myself and my passions.
Matthew Sutija
Year: 2018
Home Institution: The George Washington University
Country: India
I was able to engage with the Persian language in a new manner, taught from a different perspective, in a foreign teaching method, all to my benefit in a country with a rich spoken and written Persian language history.
Kimberly Fuqua
Year: 2018
Home Institution: University of North Carolina, Pembroke
Country: United Kingdom
My study abroad experiences allowed me to meet one of the most important people in the world – me!
Nicholas Lajoie
Year: 2015
Home Institution: University of New Hampshire
Country: Germany
The Gilman allowed me to study abroad as a STEM major, helping me develop as a person, make connections for future fellowships, and influencing me to pick up a second major.
Patrik Schuler
Year: 2018
Home Institution: Clemson University
Country: Germany
The most rewarding part of my abroad experience was conversing in German with my Swiss grandparents for the first time.
Sandra Asante
Year: 2018
Home Institution: Colorado State University, Fort Collins
Country: Ghana
Being a native of my study abroad country, I was able to connect and communicate with my students in a way that not many people did.
Raul Orozco
Year: 2018
Home Institution: University of Denver
Country: Germany
My greatest treasure from my time abroad is comprised of all the friendships I cultivated and the cultural exchanges they provided.
Ryanna Miller
Year: 2012
Home Institution: Alabama A&M University
Country: South Africa
Through study abroad as a Gilman Scholar, I fully developed my true purpose and passions in life.
Toi Mickle
Year: 2012
Home Institution: San Francisco State University
Country: United Kingdom
I was merely existing in school searching for ways to survive. Gilman helped me to survive so that I could elevate.
