McKendree Senior to Study in Spain on Gilman Scholarship
(LEBANON, Ill., November 23, 2015) - A highly competitive and prestigious national
scholarship will enable McKendree University history major Lauren Craft to study in
Spain from January to June. She will attend the Universidad de Granada on a Benjamin
A. Gilman International Scholarship, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau
of Educational and Cultural Affairs. It offers financial assistance to undergraduate
students who want to pursue their academic studies abroad. The program reviewed more
than 2,900 applications for over 800 awards during the application cycle for the spring
2016 semester.
“I have grown up in a small town in the middle of cornfields and living in Spain for
six months will be a drastic change for me,” said the senior from Alhambra, Ill.,
who will depart on Jan. 3. “I believe this experience will help me in my future career
in international relations, where I want to work with refugees around the world. Learning
a new language and culture will prepare me to help others.”
Craft, whose minors are global studies and Spanish, said her goals for the semester
abroad are “learning the Spanish language, learning more about the diverse culture
in Granada, and expanding my worldview.”
She wrote numerous drafts of the essay she submitted to win the Gilman Scholarship.
Craft said she is “forever grateful” for the moral support and encouragement she received
from McKendree faculty and staff members throughout the application process.
“It has given me an opportunity of a lifetime and I look forward to seeing where it
takes me,” she said.
-McK-
