2 WKU students awarded Gilman Scholarships

Two WKU students will study abroad next spring on Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships.

Dominique Wood

Dominique Wood of Nashville, Tennessee, and Deven Richardson of Bowling Green were awarded scholarships of up to $5,000 to take their studies overseas.

Wood, a third-year Chinese major, is the daughter of Angela Tomes and Thomas Wood. She will be studying at North China Electric Power University in Beijing during the spring semester.

“This was my first time writing an essay for a scholarship,” Wood said, “and I wouldn’t have been able to do as well as I did without all of the help I received from my academic advisor, my peers in the Chinese program, and the Office of Scholar Development.”

Deven Richardson

Richardson, a second-year Political Science and Criminology major, is the son of Christy Richardson. He will be spending the spring semester studying in Japan at Kansai Gaidai University. After graduation, Richardson plans to pursue law school and a career working with international corporations.

“None of this would have been possible without the amazing advisors at the Office of Scholar Development and the Office of Study Abroad and Global Learning,” Richardson said.

Cory Dodds, Coordinator of Nationally Competitive Opportunities for the Office of Scholar Development, said: “Studying abroad enriches the undergraduate experience by broadening students’ worldviews and understanding. International study also prepares students for a workforce in an increasingly globalized world. The Gilman Scholarship makes international education possible for students who may not otherwise have the opportunity.”

Funded by the U.S. Department of State, more than 2,800 Gilman scholarships will be awarded this academic year for undergraduate Pell Grant recipients to study or intern abroad. The program is intended to increase the number of students traveling to nontraditional destinations and increase diversity in study abroad by funding students of underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities; students studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics; and students with disabilities.

Each of the students worked with the Office of Scholar Development at WKU in preparing their Gilman Scholarship application and with the Office of Study Abroad and Global Learning to find the best academic program abroad to fit their goals.

About the Office of Scholar Development: The Office of Scholar Development is committed to helping WKU students in all majors and degree programs develop the vision, experience and skills to be independent, engaged scholars. OSD welcomes the opportunity to work with students interested in nationally competitive scholarships.

About the Office of Study Abroad and Global Learning (SAGL): SAGL serves the WKU community by engaging students, faculty and staff in diverse, educational, and cultural experiences through faculty-led, exchange, consortia and other study abroad opportunities. For information about the Office of Study Abroad, visit www.wku.edu/studyabroad. The office can be contacted via e-mail at study.abroad@wku.edu or by phone at (270) 745-5334.

Contact: Cory Dodds, (270) 745-5043