by Niki Acton '16

Liz Rivera '17, double-major in psychology and anthropology/sociology, never thought she'd be able to afford studying abroad, but she will spend this summer volunteering in Peru and improving her Spanish.

"Going abroad, especially over the summer, was not something I ever thought I would be able to do," said Rivera, who dismissed the possibility because of her family's economic status.

But with the support and encouragement of the Eleanor Stellyes Center for Global Studies, she applied for and received a Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship.

The competitive scholarship program offers grants to students studying or interning abroad. Available to students of limited financial means, the program seeks to help a diverse group of U.S. students study and intern abroad in an array of countries.

"I would not be in Peru without the Gilman," said Rivera. "I'm very excited to be experiencing a different culture."

After graduating from Knox, Rivera hopes to join the Peace Corps and ultimately work with at-risk youth and their families, particularly those who speak Spanish. Her experience in Peru will help her become fluent in the language.

Many Knox College students, like Rivera, believe their financial circumstances will make studying abroad impossible. Robin Ragan, director of the Eleanor Stellyes Center for Global Studies, is determined to change that misconception.

"Many students have fallen into the mindset that scholarships are only out there in theory," says Ragan. "They won't attend an information session on study abroad because they assume it's an experience they can't afford. So you have to be proactive in getting the information to them, in their spaces."

Through partnerships with the Financial Aid Office and the TRIO Achievement Program, Ragan has been steadily increasing the number of students who are able to study abroad.

"When I started in 2012, our office was fairly passive with Gilman," said Ragan. "In my first year, I took part in Gilman webinars and traveled to Houston to act as a Gilman reviewer, which gave me great insight into the process and insider knowledge."

In 2012, one Knox College student was selected for a Gilman Scholarship. By the 2014-2015 academic year, the number of applicants from Knox had quadrupled. Last year, six students were selected as scholarship recipients.

Through poster campaigns, Ragan has been getting the images of Gilman recipients into the community. "By getting the faces of peers on campus, students can see that many Knox students receive these scholarships," she said.

For the fall 2016 term, a record number of students completed the Gilman application. The scholarship recipients will be announced in June.

For the 2015-2016 academic year, the Gilman recipients were:

• DaMarcus Lacy '17, who spent winter 2016 in India.
• Yaoska Mayorga '17, who spent fall 2015 in Argentina.
• Jesse Okwu '17, who spent fall 2015 in Tanzania and spring 2016 in India.
• Liz Rivera '17, who is spending summer 2016 in Peru.