Three Salve Regina students win Gilman scholarships

Pictured: Mikayla Kenneway ’18, who studied in Australia during the spring 2017 semester

Three Salve Regina students – Alana Boulter ’18, Mikayla Kenneway ’18 and Taelor Washington ’19 – have been selected as winners of the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program. This is the highest number of annual winners in Salve Regina’s history and the second-highest number of recipients for any Rhode Island institution.

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the Gilman program aims to broaden the student population that studies abroad by supporting undergraduates who might not otherwise participate in study abroad.

Boulter, a history and philosophy major, spent the fall 2016 semester in St. Petersburg, Russia. “Without the Gilman, I would not been able to afford to go to Russia,” she said.

Kenneway, a psychology major and creative writing minor, spent the spring 2017 semester in Sippy Downs, Australia. “It changes you, stepping out your front door and throwing yourself out of your comfort zone,” she said. “The Gilman scholarship allowed me the opportunity to study abroad, which has changed my life for the better. To me, that’s the most rewarding part of this journey I’m on.”

Washington, a marketing and Spanish major, is headed to an eight-week program in Santiago, Dominican Republic this summer. “The Gilman scholarship has made it possible to take the next step in achieving my goal of becoming fluent in Spanish by the end of my journey at Salve,” Washington said. “Without it, this experience would have not been feasible for my small family and me.”

“Much of Salve’s success with the Gilman is due to the effort of our Gilman returning student winners,” said Erin FitzGerald, director of international programs. The Gilman program requires scholarship winners to complete a service project that promotes the scholarship to future students who might benefit. Student efforts have included representing Gilman at the Study Abroad Fair, speaking about the Gilman to student organizations on campus and personal student-to-student mentoring.

Students who are interested in applying for the Gilman scholarship receive advising throughout the process from an Office of International Programs team member. To learn more about study abroad and related scholarships, visit the study abroad webpage. To learn more about the Gilman scholarship, visit www.gilmanscholarship.org. To be eligible, students must be a U.S. citizen and a Pell Grant recipient.