Fredonia students receive Gilman Scholarships

Two Fredonia students have been awarded 2019 Gilman Scholarships to support study abroad experiences during the spring and summer semesters.

Nelson Clark of Buffalo, a Middle Childhood Education Math Specialist with a minor in Music, will be participating in a music production internship in Cape Town, South Africa, through SUNY Cortland. He noted a desire to “build a bridge between genres within the United States and South Africa,” adding, “My experience in Cape Town will create a new perspective on music production for me.”

Sydney Lyons of Java, N.Y., an Interdisciplinary Studies major concentrating on Advocacy for Refugees and Domestic Tranquility, with a Psychology minor, will participate in a study abroad program at the Universidad de Especialidades Espíritu Santo in Guayaquil, Ecuador, through SUNY New Paltz. She will be living with a host family and taking Spanish classes, adding, “I really want to push myself out of my comfort zone…I want to improve my language skills, considering where my career will take me.” Ms. Lyons also looks forward to exploring the country.

The Gilman Scholarship is a nationwide grant program that allows undergraduate students who require financial support and are recipients of a Pell grant to study in other countries.

Seventeen Fredonia students have received Gilman grants, totaling more than $50,000, since 2015. Scholarships awarded to Lyons and Clark are between $1,500 and $3,000.

Fredonia students who are interested in applying for the scholarship are encouraged to contact Erin Willis, assistant director of Study Abroad and Exchange Programs. Workshop sessions hosted by the Office of International Education will be held during the fall semester to familiarize students with Gilman scholarship. Applicants for spring and summer 2020 are encouraged to attend one of these workshops.