Baruch College Students Win Gilman Scholarships to Study Abroad
January 19, 2022
Six Baruch College students earned a prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship to study abroad for the spring 2022 semester. This number of accepted students represents an institutional success rate of more than 50 percent—out of 11 undergraduates—who applied for the award during this period.
“This is a stellar achievement by a very talented and intrepid group of students,” said Richard Mitten, PhD, director of study abroad at Baruch College. “I am proud of the effort all the Baruch students put into completing their applications during these difficult times. Clearly, their hard work has paid off!”
The U.S. Department of State sponsors the Gilman Scholarship Program, which supports international study for students who otherwise might not have been able to do so. According to the Department of State, the program provides students with “skills critical to our national security and economic prosperity.” Gilman Scholars can obtain up to $5,000 to apply toward their study abroad program.
More than 1,500 undergraduate students from 441 U.S. colleges received Gilman Scholarships to be part of the spring 2022 cohort.
Meet Baruch’s Gilman Scholars:
- Joel De La Cruz (’22), major in economics, Weissman School
- Allison Lai (’22), international business major, Zicklin School
- Jacob Lam (’22), digital marketing major, Zicklin School
- Tracy Lu (’23), major in human resource management major, Zicklin School
- Jin Qiu (’22), economics major, Zicklin School
- Fanny Zheng (’23), actuarial science major, Weissman School
Jacob Lam said it was “exhilarating and unreal” to be named a Gilman Scholar, which he plans to study abroad at Yonsei University in South Korea.
“I aspire to be a successful marketer who can create value for customers,” expressed Lam. “In the U.S. where our country is growing more diverse, I want to learn about different cultures to be able to market to a wider audience.”
Joel De La Cruz and Allison Lai are also both planning to go to South Korea.
Fanny Zheng chose to study abroad in Japan to improve her Japanese grammar and vocabulary, but unfortunately, the exchange program to Waseda University has been suspended for the spring 2022 semester.
“I can receive a different learning experience by studying abroad that can help me grow as a person and as a student,” explained Zheng. “After entering the actuarial science major, I learned many skills analyzing data and displaying data meaningfully. This is what I presented in my essays to show my way of increasing the bond of international relations.”
At this time, Jin Qui and Tracy Lu will not be able to attend Singapore Management University due to Covid-19 restrictions. Given the disruption of the pandemic, the Gilman Program “is committed to offering flexibility to participants whose plans may be impacted…by permitting students to defer to a program starting later or by supporting participation in a virtual study abroad or international internship program.”
Student Awards Advising Support
Baruch students interested in applying for a Gilman Scholarship can visit Baruch College’s Office of National & Prestigious Fellowships Advising. This office helps guide students through the application process when pursuing fellowships and scholarships that support their academic studies.
In addition to the Gilman, other opportunities available to students include the Fulbright award, Jeannette K. Watson Fellowship, Freeman-ASIA scholarships, Venture for America, and many more.
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