Three Loyola students win Gilman Scholarships to study abroad

2017 Dec 7

Three Loyola University Maryland students - Natalie Morris, '19, Devin Maus, '19, and Joy Kelson, '19 - have each been awarded the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to study abroad. The three awards are the most Gilman scholarships ever granted to Loyola students simultaneously.

Morris, a biochemistry major and aspiring physician from Devon, Pa., was awarded $3,000 to take part in a science and medical program in Denmark at the Danish Institute of Scandinavia. The institute offers interactive courses which allow students to travel throughout Europe as part of their curriculum. Morris will take the course Human Health and Policy: A Clinical Approach and study various health care and health care policy methodologies.

"One of the school's main principles is to use Europe as classroom, so the courses are very interactive and engaging," said Morris. "The class both learns and travels together. It is similar to our Messina curriculum."

Morris will travel to Germany and Poland as part of her class's study tour.

Maus, an advertising and public relations major and political science minor, received $3,500 to study in Greece. The Madison, Conn., native will study in Athens at the American College of Greece, where she will complete a Modern Greek course to improve her language skills, as well as a course in the history of Greek economics. Maus, who plans to work as a public relations professional after graduation, is looking forward to learning more about the country.

"As a student, I will have several opportunities to explore Greek culture and expand my knowledge in the heart of Athens," Maus said.

Kelson was awarded $5,000 and will study in the United Kingdom at Newcastle University in Tyne. The biology major will take several classes including the History of Colonial India, Contemporary Cultures, and animal parasitology. In addition to her coursework, she also plans to travel.

"I will travel to Italy for a 10-day study tour. I am really interested in traveling to Spain, Germany, and Denmark as well. I want to do service in India.," said Kelson, who is originally from Maplewood, N.J.

"It's exciting that we have three winners at one time. This means more Loyola students are becoming aware of opportunities like the Gilman Scholarship and opportunities to study abroad, particularly students who worry they cannot to afford to do so," said Andrea Giampetro-Meyer, Ph.D., interim director of Loyola's National Fellowships Office.

These three scholarships add to the growing number of Loyola students who have received the award in recent years, including Ana Ilisinovic, '18, who was able to use her scholarship award to study abroad in Spain in fall 2016.

"Loyola is the kind of place where students who are passionate, hardworking, and motivated will find administrators and benefactors who are willing to invest in them and empower them to maximize their opportunities," Giampetro-Meyer said.

About the Gilman Scholarship:

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship eases the financial burden for exceptional U.S. undergraduate students who embark on an academic or internship abroad. More than 2,800 scholarships of up to $5,000 were awarded this year through the program, which is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and administered by the Institute of International Education through its office in Houston, Texas.