WMU Study Abroad celebrates new, nationally competitive Gilman award winners
KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- WMU Study Abroad is proud to announce three new Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship recipients. The newcomers join a group of eight Western Michigan University students who were awarded the prestigious federal study abroad scholarship this fall.
The Gilman Scholarship program, run by the U.S. Department of State, provides up to $5,000 to U.S. undergraduate students who receive federal Pell grants to support their undergraduate studies. Gilman scholars use the funds for short- and long-term study abroad experiences.
Jeffrey Harris, a Western Michigan University student from Homewood, Ill., is spending spring semester of his junior year at the University College Dublin in Ireland. There, he is taking comparative politics classes for his minor and also earning credits toward an aviation management major.
The program, which includes travel around Ireland, will allow Harris to explore how communities and governments work together, he says.
“I am extremely grateful to be selected as a Gilman Scholarship recipient,” writes Harris from abroad. “This scholarship will help me offset some of the costs that studying abroad students incur and it allows me to connect with a vast array of students from across the country and globe.”
Harris, 20, has joined the Gilman Scholar Network and plans to travel with the organization to the European Union headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, this spring.
“Geopolitics is an increasingly expanding field nowadays, and it excites me to be in Europe during such consequential times,” explains Harris. “Receiving this award allows me more time to explore Europe and network with like-minded scholars.”
Comparative and immersive international aspects enhance study in any field field, says Harris, who went to Europe in high school and visited Germany and the Netherlands.
“I knew that if afforded the opportunity in college, I'd have to study abroad,” he says. “The sense of curiosity, adventure and open-mindedness are all things which have ultimately led me to study abroad.”
Samara Trout, a WMU student from Mason, Mich., is also studying abroad in her junior year. Trout, 20, will attend Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, this summer. Her coursework will integrate studies of Czech culture, psychology and anthropology.
The program, Trout says, will allow her to foster a globally informed perspective and deepen her understanding of cultural influences on human behavior and mental health.
“Receiving the Gilman Scholarship is both a profound privilege and an immense honor,” says Trout. “As an aspiring clinical and community psychologist, I am passionate about promoting mental health and well-being within diverse communities,” she says.
“Mindfully immersing myself in an international academic environment will nurture cultural awareness and sensitivity, further supporting my journey toward becoming a culturally attuned practitioner.”
Marcus Trinidad, a WMU undergraduate international business and supply chain management student, also earned the Gilman Scholarship this semester.
WMU Study Abroad has seen a record high number of students receiving the nationally competitive Gilman Scholarship this academic year, says Joe Milostan, director of study abroad and international faculty enrichment at the university’s Haenicke Institute for Global Education.
The Gilman Scholarship broadens the student populations that study abroad by supporting undergraduates who might not otherwise be able to due to financial constraints, he says.
Over 460 students participated in WMU Study Abroad programming in the 2023-2024 academic year. The school offers more than 80 programs in 30 countries around the world.
Morgan Boutwell, a WMU junior, was awarded the Gilman Scholarship last year. She traveled with WMU Study Abroad to Ecuador last summer and hopes to travel more before she graduates.
She applies for every study abroad scholarship she can find. She has also received support from the Haenicke Institute’s Global Engagement Program (GEP), achieving the status of Global Explorer.
Students involved with the GEP can earn study abroad scholarships by attending cultural events on campus, taking globally engaging classes and participating in other global experiences.
Taking advantage of studying abroad as a student at WMU is affordable and empowering, says Boutwell. “I can do anything; travel opens our minds and challenges stereotypes.”
Boutwell, 28, chose to come to Western as a mid-career aviation and electrical systems technician after being laid off during the pandemic and deciding to hike the Appalachian Trail.
It was in the woods that the South Carolina native felt called to see the world, travel to Patagonia and use her technical skills to work on the South American railroad. She wants to help build infrastructure projects that will last for a hundred years.
“I’m here to learn and to learn from other perspectives,” says Boutwell.
Boutwell decided to pursue a Spanish language major at Western as she deepens her cultural understanding of the Spanish-speaking world. She is also earning a minor in global and international studies. Both programs are hosted by the College of Arts and Sciences.
She plans to present on her time in Ecuador to the campus community this month. “Tagging Culture: The art of graffiti and my study abroad experience in Ecuador” is set for Feb. 26 at 3 p.m. in Brown Hall, Room 3025.
“Getting to go to a place like Ecuador was wonderful,” she says. “It will stay with me forever.”
About The Haenicke Institute for Global Education
The Diether H. Haenicke Institute for Global Education, established in 1998, fosters an environment that supports the global engagement of the Western Michigan University community. Its offices assist more than 1,170 international students on campus and nearly 1,000 WMU degree-seeking students studying at partner institutions in China and Taiwan.
The Institute facilitates short- and long-term study abroad programs for students, faculty and staff. It also hosts a variety of global learning activities to encourage a more globally engaged southwest Michigan. These initiatives include designing and promoting scholarship and academic opportunities at WMU; providing outreach to area K-12 schools; hosting lectures, panels and events; and showcasing arts, entertainment and culture from around the world. More information at www.wmich.edu/global.