The U.S. Embassy and the Fulbright Commission in Portugal, in partnership with the USA Study Abroad Office, Institute of International Education, and the Gilman Program hosted one of the first Gilman Scholars Regional Career Summits from May 9 to 11 in Lisbon. This three-day summit, funded by a grant from the USA Study Abroad Office, brought together 38 current Gilman Scholars studying in Europe. Scholars learned about career opportunities overseas in the public, private, and non-profit sectors, as well as developed skills for leveraging their study abroad and international internship experiences to further their professional goals. The summit also included career panels, a visit to the American company Mercer, networking events, cultural programs, teambuilding opportunities, and skills building exercises.
Guest speakers included Deputy Chief of Mission, Herro Mustafa; Gilman Program Officer, Theresa Gagnon; Executive Director of the Fulbright Commission, Otília Reis; and 2011 Gilman Alumna, Stephanie Santayana as the Keynote Speaker.
The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program provides undergraduate American students of limited economic means (defined as Pell Grant recipients) the ability to gain career-enhancing skills through international exchange. The Gilman Program provides grants of up to $5,000 that can be put towards the cost of a credit bearing study abroad or international internship program of a student’s choice. Over the past 16 years, the Gilman Program has been successful in expanding the American student population that studies and interns abroad by reaching students that are historically underrepresented in education abroad, including but not limited to first-generation college students, students in STEM fields, ethnic minority students, students with disabilities, students attending minority-serving institutions, and community college students. The Gilman Program is administered by the Department of State’s USA Study Abroad Office within the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
