Student Life

Eleven Students Studying Abroad with Gilman and Freeman Scholarships in Summer and Fall 2019

Eight students will be studying aborad in Africa, Asia and Europe in fall 2019 with the support of Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarships. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Gilman program increases access to study abroad opportunities for students qualifying for Pell Grants. The Gilman program is administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE).

Ninety-two percent of Gilman scholars have not previously studied abroad and forty-seven percent are first-generation college students.

The students awarded Gilman Scholarships for fall 2019 are:

  • Ifeoluwa Asere ’21, a public health sciences major from Boston for study in Ghana
  • Ayla Baraka ’21, a Japanese language and literature major from Boston for study in Japan
  • Zaidimary Barreto ‘20, a classics major from Worcester for study in Greece
  • Seamus Dann ’21, a Japanese language and literature major from Holyoke for study in Japan
  • Jeffrey Dunn ’21, a Russian, European & Eurasian studies major from Winthrop, Maine for study in Russia
  • Alexander Griffith ’19, a linguistics and anthropology major from Cummington for study in Israel
  • Alison Kane ’20, an anthropology major from Kingston for study in Russia
  • Adrelys Mateo Santana ’20, a psychology and Spanish double major from Lawrence for study in Spain

In addition to the Gilman scholarship, three students are recipients of the Freeman-Asia scholarship for summer and fall 2019. 

The Freeman-Asia program is designed to support U.S.-based undergraduates with demonstrated financial need who are planning to study abroad in East or Southeast Asia. The program’s goal is to increase the number of U.S. citizens and permanent residents with first-hand exposure to Asia and its peoples and cultures.

The program is made possible through The IIE and support by the Freeman Foundation.

The students awarded the Freeman-Asia scholarship for 2019 are:

  • Kamran Noori Shirazi ’21, biochemistry and molecular biology major from East Longmeadow for study in China
  • Madeline Andrews ’21, English and Japanese language and literature double major from Chelmsford for study in Japan
  • Elizabeth Castellon ’21, a theater major from Boston for study in Japan

The UMass Amherst students submitted their applications with the guidance of the International Programs Office (IPO) and financial aid services. IPO offers workshops to bring awareness to these and other scholarship opportunities each semester.