Two Metro State students have won prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman
International Scholarships for study abroad. Junior Chanelle Libunao
and sophomore Clevis Taylor are the first Metro State students ever to
receive the scholarships.
“This is quite a thrilling development,” said Ali Thobhani, director
of International Studies. “It helps make study abroad much more
affordable for our students. I hope that this will be the first of many
such scholarships to come for Metro State students.”
Offered through the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of
the U.S. Department of State and administered by the Institute of
International Education, the congressionally funded scholarships are
awarded based on merit and need, with a preference for those with
diverse ethnic backgrounds who are interested in studying outside of
Western Europe and Australia. This year, there were 1,927 applications
for 850 possible awards. All recipients are also receiving Pell Grant
funding.
Libunao, a junior majoring in integrative therapeutic practices with
a minor in Spanish, won a $3,000 scholarship. She will head to Buenos
Aires, Argentina next week, where she will remain for the next five and
a half months. She will first take a month-long intensive Spanish
language immersion class, then university classes in Argentinean
customs and traditions, Spanish language and literature. Libunao said
she hopes to speak to other Metro State students about her experience
upon her return, to encourage more such educational travel.
Taylor, a sophomore linguistics major, is headed for Ritsumeikan
University in Kyoto, Japan in September. Just 19 years old, Taylor has
never been outside the United States, but says he has been a fan of
Japanese culture since he was eight years old. “I started watching anime
cartoons, and I was fascinated,” he said. By his freshman year of high
school, he was teaching himself Japanese, special-ordering books and
CDs from his school library. Though his high school didn’t offer
Japanese, he was able to enroll in Japanese language classes at a
neighboring high school.
“I’ve always been so fascinated with Japan, and wanted to really
learn the language, but you can’t get fluent in Japanese in Denver,
Colorado,” Taylor said. “I want to immerse myself in the language and
culture, and come back more fluent.” Taylor has the added distinction
of receiving the maximum amount offered by the Gilman program: $5,000.
“A lot of students believe study abroad is out of reach because of
costs,” said study abroad advisor Carrie Bennet. “My hope is that
students will be inspired by Chanelle and Clevis to see that it’s
possible—and funding is available.”
