Two Susquehanna University students were awarded the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, enabling them to study in Argentina and Australia in the spring 2023 semester.
Kaitlin Kovaschetz ’24, a Spanish studies and management double major with a minor in international studies, will study at La Universidad del Salvador in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Kovaschetz is from Sunbury, Pennsylvania.
Paige Smedira ’24, a biology major with minors in the honors program and health care studies, will study at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia. Smedira is from Columbia, New Jersey.
Gilman scholars gain a better understanding of other cultures, countries, languages and economies — making them better prepared to assume leadership roles within government and the private sector.
“The Gilman scholarship gives me the opportunity to study my Spanish on a different level,” Kovaschetz said. “I want to be a management consultant for businesses based out of South America. The connections I hope to gain from my Gilman experience will help get my foot in the door before I even graduate.”
In addition to studying in Australia, Smedira will be participating in a nursing internship.
“The internship is based at a nearby hospital, where I will gain the experience necessary to pursue an accelerated nursing program,” Smedira said. “This internship will put me one step closer to realizing my career aspiration — becoming a pediatric travel nurse.”
The U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship is a grant program that enables eligible U.S. students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad, awarding up to $5,000 to apply to their program costs. The Institute of International Education has administered the program since its inception in 2001.
Of the total applicants across the country, only 25% of semester program applicants receive an award. More than 50 Susquehanna students have been awarded the scholarship since 2015. The university has a dedicated program in place to identify and mentor students throughout the application process for Gilman and other prestigious scholarships.
