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Allegheny College students Charisma Tesch ’23, Megan Dennis ’23, and Maria Cabrera ’24 have been awarded prestigious Gilman International Scholarships to help fund study abroad experiences. They join four other Allegheny students who also received Gilman Scholarships in 2021. 

“Our continued success in the Gilman Scholarship competition suggests to me that Allegheny students are competitive across the board,” says Professor Patrick Jackson, assistant dean for fellowship advising. “It’s not like we’re only winning one or two of these every couple of years. Allegheny applicants are being recognized in significant numbers during each application cycle. This is evidence that any Allegheny student who applies for a Gilman stands a good chance of winning one.”

The U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program encourages students to study and intern overseas and provides funding that enables students of limited financial means to do so.

Charisma Tesch ’23 is an international studies and history double major and an Arabic minor. She plans to study in Amman, Jordan, where she hopes to learn as much as she can about the region, reverse any biases or misconceptions, and make friends.

Also hoping to make friends while studying away is Megan Dennis ’23. An international studies and business double major with a Chinese minor, Dennis plans to study in Seoul, South Korea, where she hopes to challenge herself and gain a better understanding of Korean culture, business, and society.

Maria Cabrera ’24 is an art, science, and innovation and communication and cultural studies double major with a minor in computer science. She plans to study in Italy through an Allegheny-sponsored Experiential Learning Seminar, La Bella Figura: Italy Then and Now. 

Regarding the Gilman Scholarship, Jackson adds, “I would encourage any Allegheny student who is eligible to put in an application. I’d be happy to help anyone who’s interested in assembling something.”