Eight West Virginia University students earned Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships to travel abroad without financial constraints.
These undergraduate students, in addition to six WVU recipients announced earlier this year, received the competitive national award funded by the U.S. State Department to participate in transformative study abroad experiences.
“International travel is one of the most impactful learning experiences that an undergraduate student can engage in,” Cate Johnson, assistant director of the ASPIRE Office, said. “It’s exciting to see so many WVU students taking advantage of Gilman Scholarship funding year after year.”
The newest Gilman Scholarship recipients are:
- Chelsea Elliott, a senior landscape architecture major from Morgantown, for travel to Western Europe,
- Shawna Hart, a Bridgeport native enrolled in the Regents Bachelor of Arts program, for travel to the United Kingdom,
- Kevin Harter, a freshman geography major from Ballwin, Missouri, for travel to New Zealand,
- Chyanne Reid, a senior biochemistry student from Martinsburg, for travel to Ireland,
- Christopher Smith, a junior biomedical engineering major from Point Pleasant, for travel to Panama in 2025 as part of the WVU Global Medical and Dental Brigades,
- Mary Margaret “Maggie” Stakem, a junior sports and adventure media major from Wheeling, for travel to Spain,
- Sabrina Thorn, a sophomore health services management and leadership major from McMechen, for travel as part of a future WVU-sponsored trip,
- Braeden Thornton, a freshman pre-nursing major from North East, Pennsylvania, for travel to Cyprus.
The ASPIRE Office supports WVU students interested in applying for this and other national competitive awards. Students interested in discussing their options can email aspire@mail.wvu.edu to set up an appointment.
