Seven students from Florida State University’s College of Social Sciences and Public Policy will study around the world this summer through the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program.
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Gilman Scholarship gives students the opportunity to study or intern in foreign countries, providing students with skills critical to U.S. national security and economic prosperity while preparing them for a globalized world. To be eligible for the Gilman Program, applicants must have a strong academic record and plan to pursue a credit-bearing experience. Applicants must also be receiving a Federal Pell Grant during the time of application or provide proof that they will be receiving a Pell Grant during the term of their study abroad program or internship.
Since its inception, FSU has had 187 Gilman Scholars who have studied abroad in 43 different countries and earned over $700,000 toward their international experiences. With this award, Florida State students join the prestigious ranks of the Gilman alumni network stretching across the globe.
“Our 2025 class is a particularly impressive group of young scholars,” said Jesse Wieland, associate director of the Office of National Fellowships. “These students didn’t shy away from Gilman’s most competitive application cycles to date but rather used that competition as motivation to craft compelling application materials. Our Gilman scholars are a microcosm of the creativity and academic rigor amongst our student body; they all found ideal study programs that align with their majors or professional aspirations in coordination with FSU faculty and staff.”
The Institute of International Education (IIE) has administered the program since its inception in 2001, with more than 28,000 students awarded. The IIE received a record high of 17,000 applications across the 2024-2025 academic cycle, and FSU awardees are among those selected to pursue an international experience over the summer.
Nine of the 22 recipients will use the Gilman Scholarship to participate in study abroad experiences administered through FSU International Programs. Shinaika Hiller, Jean-Luc Cruz, and Alyia Fitzgerald will participate in the “Social Work & International Affairs: Human Rights” program in Prague, Czech Republic this summer. Allyson Anderson will participate in the “Experiencing Germany” program in Dresden, Germany to complete her German minor.
Hiller, a senior majoring in international affairs, hopes to learn how human rights have historically manifested in the Czech Republic and looks forward to enhancing her cultural skills while learning to engage with emotionally sensitive information as she prepares for a career in medical malpractice law.
Hiller also received the Carl and JoAnn Blackwell Scholarship Fund for International Studies Scholarship, which is awarded to students in the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy studying abroad to improve their foreign language skills or further their understanding of other cultures, international politics or global economic relationships.
“Within my career, I will be challenged to consistently process emotionally sensitive information objectively to efficiently represent my clients,” Hiller said. “Additionally, my clients will have different cultural backgrounds so it will be important to know more about different cultures and perspectives to further enhance my understanding.”
Cruz, a junior pursuing dual degrees in international affairs and political science, hopes to gain a better understanding of both the history of Prague itself and the impact that international human rights enforcement has on global conflicts. He also received a scholarship from FSU’s Center for Undergraduate Research and Academic Engagement (CRE) to help cover the costs of the program.
“This experience will provide me with a unique opportunity to study a topic that is extremely important to me — human rights — in a city whose history has been shaped by human rights tragedies,” Cruz said.
While abroad, Cruz will also conduct research for his capstone project through FSU’s Global Scholars Program, which provides an opportunity for undergraduate students to engage with questions about social impact through a combination of academic, classroom-based learning as well as independent research, internship and/or service-learning experiences.
Fitzgerald, a sophomore double majoring in sociology and psychology, intends to pursue a career devoted to helping underserved communities. She hopes participating in this program will be a deeply meaningful experience.
“I am excited for all that I will learn and bring back with me to the United States—including a greater cultural awareness, new approaches to addressing social inequality, a deeper understanding of global human rights practices, and direct insight that can help inform community advocacy, legal reform, and social service work here at home,” Fitzgerald said.
Allyson Anderson, a junior majoring in Russian and East European Studies, will participate in the “Experiencing Germany” program through International Programs to complete her German minor. The program takes place in Dresden, Germany, and includes a culture course taught exclusively in German and a language course in partnership with the Goethe Institute, Germany’s official cultural center. Anderson also received a Summer Scholarship through International Programs. Through this experience, Anderson hopes to gain a deep understanding of targeted groups, memories pertaining to human rights abuses, crimes against humanity, and the vibrant cultures that existed before, during and after those tragedies.
“My goal is to use my knowledge of history, culture, and language to encourage people to be more aware of international conflicts and their impacts on people, not just politics,” Anderson said. “After graduating, I hope to enroll in a master’s program in Germany to further study and research human rights, collective memory, and conflict resolution.”
This year’s Gilman winners from COSSPP, their destination country, and majors are listed below.
- Allyson Anderson | Germany | Russian and East European Studies
- Jean-Luc Cruz | Czech Republic | International Affairs & Political Science
- Emberly Dennis | United Kingdom | Sociology
- Alyia Fitzgerald | Czech Republic | Sociology
- Shinaika Hiller | Czech Republic | International Affairs
- Alessandra Longo | Spain | Political Science
- Fabianna Silva | France | International Affairs
To learn more about the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program, visit gilmanscholarship.org. For more information about FSU International Programs, visit international.fsu.edu.