Two students from Brookdale Community College will be able to study abroad after being selected as recipients of the 2017-18 Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship.
The recipients of the award were Vanessa Castaneda of Howell Township and Caitlyn Lewis of Keyport. Caitlyn received a $4,000 scholarship and Vanessa received a $4,500 scholarship.
According to a press release from Brookdale, the scholarship is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and allows high-achieving American undergraduates with financial limitations to have a semester abroad. Vanessa and Caitlyn were selected to receive the award alongside nearly 1,000 students from 386 schools across the country.
Caitlyn, who was also selected as a recipient of the $1,000 Spring 2018 Elaine Baran Study Abroad Scholarship, will attend a 16-week semester in Heidelberg, Germany, beginning on January 4, 2018, to learn the German language, according to the press release.
“I’ve never studied abroad before and, in fact, this will be my first time leaving the country,” Caitlyn said. “I believe this will be a great opportunity to experience new things, open myself up to new ideas and live with a little more independence in a completely different culture. And, hopefully, when I return I’ll be able to say, ‘Hey, I’m bilingual.’ It’s very exciting.”
Vanessa will use the scholarship to fund an intensive, semester-long language studies program in Tokyo, Japan. During the study abroad program, which runs from April 2018 through June, she will study Japanese language and culture.
“I am working toward an associates degree in liberal arts,” Vanessa said. “From there on, I plan to pursue my bachelors in either education or anthropology, with Japanese as a minor. “My hope is that my study abroad experience will help me decide which field I am better suited towards. This will be an invaluable experience in shaping my academic and professional future. Moreover, I’m sure this venture will present incredible avenues for self-discovery. I hope I’m able to learn something about myself, and take away an air of confidence and independence.
“Without the Gilman Scholarship, I wouldn’t be able to make this dream a reality. I was so awestruck when I got their email that I cried on the spot,” she said. “This is something that I have wanted to do for years, and Gilman has made it possible for me. I will do my best to make the most of my time abroad and live up to everyone’s expectations.”
