Making friends in Chile
Before beginning my semester abroad, I had this idea in my head: I was going to spend all my free time hanging out with Chileans (or other permanent residents), not other U.S. students studying in this city. I have nothing… READ MORE →
Top 10 Sydney Highlights
Hi there, Gilman Blog! It’s hard to believe that as I write this, my time studying in Sydney is more than halfway over. The past 2.5 months have flown by, and it’s strange to think that in another 2 months… READ MORE →
A Day in the Life in Quito, Ecuador
Through the haze of my dreams, I hear a slight pounding on my door. My Ecuadorian mom, Ximena, is knocking on my door. “Hija- desayuno.” It’s 6:30 am on a Monday, and my week is just beginning. I roll out… READ MORE →
Ode to Africa
Full lips High cheekbones Caramel skin The beauty of Africa U.S. Citizen Igbo illiterate An immigrant You are still Africa Fresh clean linen Filtered fountains Chanel perfume You…are Africa? Early mornings Long nights Trek on with pride Your soul screams… READ MORE →
Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month
The U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program is reshaping study abroad to make it more accessible and inclusive for high achieving American students who represent the rich diversity of the United States to study or intern… READ MORE →
Finding My Routine
Hello! My name is Lauren and I’m a student at Western Washington University, double majoring in English and Spanish and I intend to go to Law School when I’m done. I’m currently studying in Alicante, Spain for one year, and… READ MORE →
Japan: Trains
Tōkyō is heavy, almost as heavy as the diacritics pressing down on the o’s, flattening and elongating the city’s groan. The grey buildings are aggressively tall and the greyed people passively radiate a cruelty special to our species. It feels… READ MORE →
Mai in Morocco
Hi everyone! My name is Mai Naji and I’m a Gilman Scholar studying Arabic in Meknes, Morocco for a full year. I’m a senior at the University of Arizona double majoring in Linguistics and Arabic, and minoring in Middle Eastern… READ MORE →
The Machu Picchu Musician from Missouri
Making Connections Something I have always understood is the power of making connections. As a musician, I understood early on the importance of community and what wonderful things happen when you get people in the same room. When I started… READ MORE →
Why I Believe in Studying Abroad
Three years ago, I was working as a janitor at a community college in Bellevue, Washington. It was an arduous grind to juggle work and school obligations as I commuted to the University of Washington in Seattle every day for… READ MORE →