FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 21, 2023
CONTACT
Leha Byrd
ECSU Communications and Marketing
Email or 252-335-8745
Eight ECSU Students Named Gilman Scholars for 2024
Elizabeth City, N.C. – Eight Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) students were selected to receive the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships. The scholarship, open to competitive, Pell Grant eligible students, offers the opportunity to study abroad by removing cost barriers.
This year’s awardees will receive a combined total of $27,000. Financial awards – meant to cover program costs as well as financial need – range from $3,000 to $8,000. In 2024, ECSU students will study in countries in Africa, Asia, and Europe including Ghana, Japan, Spain, and Taiwan.
Jasmine Jackson, a freshman, leaves for Cartago, Costa Rica in June. A kinesiology student, she will shadow licensed physical therapists and observe treatment in three general outpatient clinics through Toucan Abroad, one of ECSU's partners. The Richmond, Virginia native is one of 1,600 students selected from a pool of more than 5,000 applicants.
“My decision to travel abroad was with no hesitation due to the learning opportunities associated with it. Fellow ECSU students' testimonials of studying abroad assured me that this opportunity was worth it,” she said. “In Costa Rica I will be able to learn things I couldn't just learn in a textbook. Through my eyes, studying abroad is an avenue to see the world, and from that gain inspiration to create change that will positively impact others.”
The Office of International Programs (OIP) credits Study Abroad Alumni Ambassadors with planting the seed of international study in students like Jackson, as well as helping them with their application essays. It is a hands-on approach that has been working since 2019 when the first student received the award. To date, a total of 40 ECSU students have been named Gilman Scholars.
Additional recipients include:
- Ashante Bradley, junior, Psychology student
- Charli Brooks, sophomore, Aviation student
- Jalia Gross, senior, Elementary Education student
- Joshua Harrell, junior, Computer Science/Mathematics student
- Sierra King, junior, Social Work student
- Coreen Mullen, junior, Computer Science student
- Naseefa Salaam, sophomore, Criminal Justice student
“We are proud of our students as they continue to receive the Gilman Scholarship to assist with reaching their study abroad goals,” said Andre P. Stevenson, OIP director and professor of social work. “Whether they are studying culture, language, or a particular academic discipline, they will return from their experiences with a greater sense of self, the world, and where they fit in a global context."
The OIP aims to position students to study abroad with various opportunities, including the American Passport Project. The program gifts 25 eligible students with $165 toward obtaining a passport to study abroad.