Maria Ahern, an Olin junior studying Marketing and Communication Design, is one of approximately 800 American undergraduate students from 355 colleges and universities across the U.S. selected to receive the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship.

The Gilman International scholarship is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs  and provides the opportunity to study or intern abroad during the spring 2016 academic term. Maria will study abroad in Spain.

Maria at Parque de El Retiro, Madrid, Spain

The program aims to diversify the students who study and intern abroad and the countries and regions where they go. Scholarship recipients have the opportunity to gain a better understanding of other cultures, countries, languages, and economies — making them better prepared to assume leadership roles within government and the private sector.

The program is administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE).  The full list of students who have been selected to receive Gilman Scholarships, including Washington University Arts and Sciences student Diane Kim, is available on their website: www.iie.org/gilman.

By Analisa Ortiz