Maryville College students seeking to expand their horizons have an opportunity to apply for the Benjamin A. Gilman scholarship, awarded by the U.S. Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. This scholarship encourages students from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue educational opportunities abroad, offering up to $5,000 in financial aid. As Maryville College reports, the program has benefited over 44,000 students since its inception in 2001, with more than 60% hailing from small towns or rural areas.
One such beneficiary, Lysandre Lines '27, hailing from Fraziers Bottom, West Virginia, otherwise known as "absolutely nowhere," has recently become a Gilman scholar. After stumbling upon Maryville College and nurturing an interest in social sciences and Chile, Lines felt the scholarship aligned perfectly with his aspirations. "It was perfect for my needs … I went to a seminar hosted by the I-House and also saw a webinar by the folks down in Gilman and tried to take it from there. I feel incredibly lucky for all of the help I got on such short notice" Lines told Maryville College.
Interested students are encouraged to apply by March 6. Albrianna Jenkins '18, an education abroad advisor and a Gilman alum, noted the program's profound impact on participants, providing them with not just financial assistance but a supportive network as well. “Not only does the Gilman program support students’ dreams of going abroad and encourage them to make a positive impact both in their abroad communities during their program, and their local communities after their program, but it also provides a strong alumni network and access to resources that increase the trajectory of their futures beyond their undergraduate careers,” Jenkins conveyed in an information session, according to Maryville College.
Lines discovered the scholarship a mere week before the deadline and, with guidance offered by Jenkins at the International House and Dr. Sylvia Turner, director of the College’s TRIO Student Support Services Program, managed to submit the requisite three essays in time. "Roughly about the same time as one of the biggest mining strikes in Appalachian history (The Battle of Blair Mountain), Chile had something similar happen in their old saltpeter mines (Santa María School Massacre)," Lines explained, drawing parallels between his familial experiences in mining towns and those in Chile, which spurred his cross-cultural thesis. With a clear academic path and newfound excitement, he plans to embark on his Chilean venture this July.
