APPLETON, WIS. — Four Lawrence University students have been awarded $5,000 scholarships by the Washington, D.C.-based Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program for off-campus study during the 2009-10 academic year.
Senior Dario LaPoma, Eugene, Ore., will participate in the International Studies Abroad program at the University of El Salvador in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Junior Roy Wimer, Delavan, will study at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. Senior Jennifer Grogan, Pepper Pike, Ohio, and junior Drift Martinez, South Richmond Hill, N.Y., will study at the American University in Cairo, Egypt.
Grogan also was awarded an additional $3,000 scholarship through the Gilman program’s Critical Need Language funds to support Arabic language study at American University. The funding comes through the U.S. Department of State for students studying languages deemed important to U.S. diplomacy.
LaPoma and Grogan will spend the fall semester abroad, while Wimer and Martinez will participate in programs covering the full academic year.
“Given the amount of the awards and the reputation of the Gilman program, Lawrence is justifiably proud of these students,” said Laura Zuege, off-campus programs coordinator. “Being awarded a Gilman scholarship is a testament to the academic preparations and study-abroad ambitions of these students who represent a variety of backgrounds, majors and interests.”
The Gilman Scholarship Program seeks to diversify the kinds of students who study abroad and the countries and regions where they go by supporting undergraduates who otherwise might not participate due to financial constraints. It is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
