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For Immediate Release
ATLANTA (April 18, 2018) -- In recognition of its successful track record as a higher education institution focused on providing each of its students with a competitive edge by studying abroad, Spelman College has been named a top producer of Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholars, by the U.S. Department of State in several categories for the 2016-2017 academic year. The State Department’s inaugural list takes into account colleges and universities which make international study and internships more accessible and inclusive for American students of all backgrounds through the Gilman Program.
The State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, in collaboration with the Institute of International Education, compiles the list, organized by institution size and type.
With a total of 20 students selected between 2016-2017, Spelman is the No. 1 producer in the following four categories. The students traveled to 16 countries including Italy, Denmark, South Africa, Morocco, Japan and Brazil.
• Top Small Colleges and Universities (< 5,000 undergrads)
• Top Producer: Racial and Ethnic Minority Students
• Top Producer: First-Generation College Students
• Top Producer: Total Number of Destinations
“This recognition attests to Spelman's priority in enhancing students' global travel engagement by encouraging our students who are financially challenged but bright to tap into the Gilman Scholarship as a panacea for breaking the cost barrier to study abroad,” said
Dimeji Togunde, Ph.D., associate provost for global education and professor of international studies.
Somalia Ra-Min, C’2018, a comparative women’s studies major, received a $2,000 award to study in the United Kingdom. “Receiving the Gilman scholarship gave me the push I needed to step out of my comfort zone and become a global citizen,” she said. “I plan to go into the music and entertainment industries, and Goldsmiths, University of London was a creative incubator. I had my own radio show on the campus radio station. This allowed me to meet other creatives at Goldsmiths and to connect with my friends back home. I had an opportunity to collaborate with an artist who I’m still in contact with today. As a performing artist, studying abroad has influenced my creative process and overall independence. I’ll never forget the feeling that I felt when I performed my own original music in London.”
Veverly Hill-Fisher, C’2019, a political science major, used her $2,500 award to travel to South America in summer 2017. “Receiving the Gilman Scholarship to study abroad has impacted my academic and professional goals in a tremendous way,” she said. “This scholarship was pivotal to my success and allowing me to gain experience, knowledge, and the opportunity to not only learn through language immersion, but to also give back by teaching in indigenous villages in Costa Rica.
The following is a complete list of Spelman 2016-2017 Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholars, their majors and study abroad locations.
Fall 2016
• Amani Holder, C’2018, psychology, Denmark/Italy
• Somalia Ra-Min, C’2018, comparative women's studies, United Kingdom
• Haleigh Hoskins, C’2018, international studies, Argentina
• Connie Appiah , C’2018, sociology and anthropology, 2018, France
• Amber Johnson, C’2018, comparative women's studies, 2018, Germany
• Quinn Forrester-Wamsley, C’2018, psychology, Nicaragua
Spring 2017
• Bria Hardin-Boyer, C’2018, Spanish, Dominican Republic
• Erin Sawyer, C’2018, international studies, Japan
• Krystol Sanders, C’2018, Spanish, Spain
• Dyamon Ashby, C’2018, political science, South Africa
Summer 2017
• Nicole Mcintosh, C’2018, psychology, Barbados
• Denier Dismukes, C’2018, biology, United Kingdom
• Kyra Bynum-Pattillo, C’2020, English, Spain
• Brittany Mathis, C’2019, sociology, Costa Rica
• Kashmiere Dotson, C’2018, comparative women's studies, Brazil
• Bintou Jobartech, C2019, political science, Brazil
• Salley Baxter-Richards, C2019, English, Italy
• Aria Williams, C’2019, economics, United Kingdom
• Veverly Hill-Fisher, C2019, political science, Costa Rica
• Keo Oneal, C’2018, history, Italy
For a full list of the institutions by category, please visit the Gilman Scholarship website at
www.GilmanScholarship.org/TopGilman.
About the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program
The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program, with the support of the U.S. Congress, is reshaping study abroad to make it more accessible and inclusive for American students. The Gilman Program broadens the U.S. student population that studies and interns abroad by providing scholarships to outstanding undergraduates who, due to financial constraints, might not otherwise participate. Since the program’s establishment in 2001, over 1,300 U.S. institutions have sent more than 25,000 Gilman scholars to 145 countries around the globe.
About Spelman College
Founded in 1881, Spelman College is a leading liberal arts college widely recognized as the global leader in the education of women of African descent. Located in Atlanta, the College’s picturesque campus is home to 2,100 students. Spelman is the country's leading producer of Black women who complete Ph.D.s in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The College’s status is confirmed by U.S. News and World Report, which ranked Spelman No. 61 among all liberal arts colleges and No. 1 among historically Black colleges and universities. The Wall Street Journal ranked the College No. 3, nationally, in terms of student satisfaction. Outstanding alumnae include Children’s Defense Fund Founder
Marian Wright Edelman, Starbucks Group President and COO
Rosalind Brewer, former Acting Surgeon General and Spelman’s first alumna President
Audrey Forbes Manley, global bioinformatics geneticist
Janina Jeff and author
Pearl Cleage. For more information, visit
www.spelman.edu.