Mount Holyoke is a top 25 Gilman scholar producer
The Gilman Program celebrates its twenty-fifth anniversary this year, and it has named Mount Holyoke College as one of the 25 top producers of Gilman scholars in the small institution category.
Mount Holyoke College has been recognized as one of the top 25 small institutions producing Gilman Scholars throughout the 25-year history of the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program, which awards merit-based scholarships to students with limited financial resources to study or intern abroad. This recognition reflects the College’s commitment to helping students participate in international experiences that can equip them with competitive career skills and global networks.
“The distinction of being a top-producing Gilman institution is especially meaningful at a time when international education is facing serious challenges in the current political climate,” said Kavita Khory ’84, the Ruth Lawson Professor of Politics and Carol Hoffmann Collins Director of the McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives. “It recognizes the academic accomplishments of Mount Holyoke students, the dedication and professionalism of the McCulloch team and the vital role of faculty and advisers in advancing study abroad as an essential component of a rigorous liberal arts education.”
Throughout its 25-year history, the U.S. Department of State’s Gilman Program has awarded scholarships that make study abroad more accessible and inclusive for outstanding U.S. undergraduate students who, due to financial constraints, might not otherwise be able to participate. Since the program’s inception in 2001, more than 34,000 Gilman Scholars from all U.S. states, Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories have studied or interned in more than 155 countries.
“We’re excited that Mount Holyoke has again been recognized by the Institute of International Education as a top-producing Gilman institution. This recognition validates the ongoing work of the McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives to provide custom and comprehensive advising and programming to support Mount Holyoke students in their academic needs, personal goals and professional interests,” said April Stroud ’99, associate director of the McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives and director of study abroad. “We continuously strive to reduce barriers to study abroad for Mount Holyoke students, including students from underrepresented groups and those with financial need. The twenty-fifth-anniversary top-producing recognition also highlights the academic excellence of Mount Holyoke College students who are regularly awarded the competitive, merit-based scholarship.”
She continued, “Each year, approximately 200 Mount Holyoke students study abroad for at least a semester. The College’s robust Laurel Fellowship program provides students with financial support when their own resources are not sufficient to cover the cost of study abroad. Each year, more than 50% of Mount Holyoke students qualify for and receive a Laurel Fellowship. The Gilman Scholarship program further supports our students by replacing or reducing loans that are part of their financial package and often also reducing the family contribution for the semester. Additionally, the Gilman Scholarship provides opportunities to build leadership skills and global networks through the events and programming specifically offered to Gilman recipients and alums.”
