Two Elmhurst University nursing students have been awarded the highly competitive Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, enabling them to study abroad in Ireland this semester and bring back experiences that will shape their career and other goals.
Elmhurst University seniors Karen Alvarez , of Elmwood Park, Ill., and Kaitlin Heimbach, of Des Plaines, Ill., are spending their Fall Term at University College Dublin, in a program designed specifically for Elmhurst nursing students.
It’s an experience neither considered seriously until learning about the Gilman Scholarship.
“When I first heard about [the Dublin program], I thought it would be so cool, but because of finances I didn’t think I could do it,” Alvarez said. “The scholarship really opened up the possibility.”
The Gilman Scholarship is the U.S. Department of State’s flagship undergraduate study abroad scholarship; it provides funding to students of limited financial means to study or intern overseas, where they’ll bring back new skills and perspectives the State Department describes as “critical to national security and economic prosperity” here at home.
For Alvarez, the flight to Ireland was her first time on a plane. Although nervous about being so far from home for so long, Alvarez was excited to embark on the adventure with her friends in the nursing program.
“I’m most looking forward to sightseeing and experiencing different cultures, people and surroundings—to experience everything new,” she said.
Heimbach, whose childhood dream has been to become a nurse, is eager to learn about Ireland’s health care system, as well as what the nursing and midwifery professions look like there.
“Nurses have the closest relationship with patients—they’re the foundation of care,” said Heimbach, who has been working at an assisted living facility since she was in high school. “Nursing is also a field that involves working with people from multiple cultures and backgrounds, so in Europe I hope to be exposed to different cultures and to look at how they approach health care.”
In the 2023-24 academic year, four Gilman winners from Elmhurst U. used their scholarship money to study in Australia, the United Kingdom and Argentina.
Students receiving a Pell Grant are highly encouraged to apply for a Gilman Scholarship to help fund a study or internship experience abroad. By increasing access to such opportunities, Elmhurst University fosters growth-minded paths for development in our students, giving them timeless knowledge and skills to thrive as adaptive leaders.
For more information, contact Marisa Mancini, national fellowships and scholarships coordinator, at [email protected], and visit gilmanscholarship.org.