“I am grateful for the Gilman Scholarship program helping me embark on an incredible opportunity to shadow medical personnel abroad in Zambia while learning and building important relationships with others.”

Carly Peggs, junior psychology major

BOONE, N.C. — Three Appalachian undergraduate students have been awarded the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, and one student was named as an alternate.

Nancy Contreras-Quinteros, Carly Peggs and Bethany Brotherton — all Gilman Scholarship recipients — will study and intern abroad during summer 2018. Contreras-Quinteros, a senior chemistry major from Charlotte, will travel to Zambia, Africa; Peggs, a junior majoring in psychology from Mooresville, will also be traveling to Zambia; and Brotherton, a Newton native and senior anthropology major, will travel to Mexico.

Lindsey Abdelfattah, a senior management major at Appalachian, has been named as an alternate for the Gilman Scholarship. If awarded the scholarship, Abdelfattah, a Bessemer City native, plans to study abroad in South Africa during summer 2018.

The Gilman International Scholarship Program, funded by the U.S. Department of State, offers grants of up to $5,000 to allow U.S. undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds to participate in credit-bearing study abroad programs and career-orientated internships. The program seeks to support students that might not otherwise participate due to financial barriers.

Another goal of the Gilman International Scholarship is to impact students’ academic and career trajectory in a positive way.

Brotherton said her experience in Mexico will “involve learning the Mayan language while also practicing ethnography by living with a Mayan family. Not only will this give me hands-on experience, but it will also show employers and graduate schools that I am flexible and open to new experiences.”

Brotherton’s comments also resonated with Peggs, who explained, “As an aspiring physician, it is my hope to be able to be a globally minded and culturally aware professional who can relate to people from many backgrounds. I am grateful for the Gilman Scholarship program helping me embark on an incredible opportunity to shadow medical personnel abroad in Zambia while learning and building important relationships with others.”

During the most recent application cycle, the program received more than 4,700 applications and awarded 1,201 scholarships to outstanding students from 363 different U.S. higher education institutions.

Contreras-Quinteros said she encourages more Appalachian students to apply for the Gilman Scholarship. Her suggestion: “While preparing to write your essays, think about how you will take advantage of the opportunity to go abroad and how you will use your experience to come back home and make a difference.”

Making a difference is a key goal of the Gilman award, and recipients are asked to conduct a follow-on project in their community when they return.

Abdelfattah described applying for the Gilman Scholarship as “such a great opportunity that opened up so many networks of valuable people I had no idea were ready and willing to support me. I connected with Appalachian’s Nationally Competitive Scholarships, which encouraged and supported me through the application process and even helped me edit my final essay.”

Her advice to future scholarship applicants is to “take advantage of the amazing people around you who are willing and ready to help you achieve your dreams.”

For more information about how to apply for the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship and other competitive awards, please contact Nationally Competitive Scholarships at [email protected] or visit https://ncs.appstate.edu.

Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program

The U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship is a grant program that enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad, thereby gaining skills critical to our national security and economic prosperity. The Institute of International Education has administered the program since its inception in 2001.

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About Nationally Competitive Scholarships

Nationally Competitive Scholarships (NCS) works with the Appalachian community to recruit and support students for nationally competitive scholarships and fellowships, including those that support research, teaching and critical language learning. This is achieved with outreach, mentorship and advising throughout the entire application and selection process. NCS is committed to helping undergraduate and graduate students find ways to connect their Appalachian education to their future endeavors through scholarship opportunities. Learn more at https://ncs.appstate.edu.

About the College of Arts and Sciences

The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) at Appalachian State University is home to 17 academic departments, two centers and one residential college. These units span the humanities and the social, mathematical and natural sciences. CAS aims to develop a distinctive identity built upon our university's strengths, traditions and locations. The college’s values lie not only in service to the university and local community, but through inspiring, training, educating and sustaining the development of its students as global citizens. More than 6,800 student majors are enrolled in the college. As the college is also largely responsible for implementing App State’s general education curriculum, it is heavily involved in the education of all students at the university, including those pursuing majors in other colleges. Learn more at https://cas.appstate.edu.

About the Walker College of Business

The Walker College of Business at Appalachian State University delivers transformational educational experiences that prepare and inspire students to be ethical, innovative and engaged business leaders who positively impact their communities, both locally and globally. The college places emphasis on international experiences, sustainable business practices, entrepreneurial programs and real-world applications with industry. Enrolling more than 4,000 undergraduates in 11 majors, Walker College has the highest enrollment of full-time undergraduate students in the University of North Carolina System, and more than 250 graduate students are enrolled in the college’s three master’s programs. App State’s Walker College is accredited by AACSB International — the premier global accrediting body for business schools. Learn more at https://business.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.

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