Four WSU Students Land National Gilman Awards to Study in Asia, Europe as of Fall 2017

MEDIA CONTACT:  April Seehafer, Director of the Distinguished Scholarships Program, WSU Undergraduate Education, 509-335-8239, seehafer@wsu.edu

Beverly Makhani, Director of Communications, WSU Undergraduate Education, 509-335-6679, makhani@wsu.edu

PULLMAN, Wash.—Four Washington University State students have received prestigious, nationally competitive Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship awards to fund study-abroad experiences that commence this fall.

The students, in alphabetical order, are:

• Haniyyah L. Dixon, a junior apparel merchandising and textiles from Tacoma who will study in fall at the Florence University of the Arts through the SAI Program;
• Evan J. Wilson, a junior international business and marketing major and Chinese-language minor from Spokane who will spend the academic year at Kookmin University in Seoul, South Korea;
• Michael B. Young, a sophomore Chinese and Japanese language and culture major and Spanish and French minor from Richland who will spend the academic year studying in Harbin China through the CET Academic Programs’ Intensive Chinese Language program; and,
• Alma J. Zamago, a junior Japanese major from Pasco who will study for the academic year on an exchange with Kansai Gaidai University in Osaka, Japan.

“These exceptional students will greatly enrich their academic experience through these study abroad opportunities,” said Christine Oakley, director of the Global Learning Dept., part of the WSU Office of International Programs.

“When they are in their destination country, the students will be ambassadors of WSU and the U.S., and when they return they will share their international experiences with others to increase awareness of study abroad and of the Gilman scholarship,” said April Seehafer, director of the Distinguished Scholarships Program, part of WSU Undergraduate Education. Such “follow-on” service is a Gilman requirement, and could include language lessons, cooking demonstrations, or presentations on cultural awareness.

Seehafer, Global Learning advisors, and others throughout the university guide and mentor prospective Gilman Scholars.

These newest Gilman awardees bring the total number of WSU student winners to 64 since 2006. Gilman awards are funded through the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in the U.S. Dept. of State. College students must qualify for federal Pell Grant support as one requirement for Gilman eligibility.

For more information, visit https://DistinguishedScholarships.wsu.edu and https://ip.wsu.edu/study-abroad/.