IU East was recognized by the U.S. Department of State for its support of its first recipients of the Gilman Scholarship.

IU East was one of 18 institutions in 16 states that supported their first Gilman Scholarship recipient(s) for the 2021–2022 academic year.

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program provides financial support and encourages students to study and intern abroad to develop valuable professional skills, language abilities, and networking opportunities that in turn aids U.S. national security and promotes economic prosperity.

IU East’s first Gilman recipients were Alex Hakes from Yorktown, Indiana; Shelly Smith, a resident of Raleigh, North Carolina; and Roz Jeter, from Richmond, Indiana.

Hakes was IU East’s first Gilman Scholarship recipient during the 2020–2021 school year. While his abroad trips were postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, he had the opportunity to study abroad in Costa Rica in July 2021.

Hakes graduated from IU East 2022 as a double-major with degrees in Political Science and Spanish. After graduation, Hakes planned to immediately prepare for the Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT) and is seeking to earn his Ph.D. in International Security with an emphasis on Middle East studies. His goal is to serve in an embassy or become an ambassador.

Smith, who grew up outside of Williamsburg and Fountain City, is an IU Online psychology major. She participated in a trip abroad from May to June of 2022, visiting London, Vienna and Leipzig, Germany, visiting notable sites like Charles Darwin’s home, Bethlehem Royal Hospital, and the home of Sigmund Freud.

Smith credited her trip abroad as a great opportunity that benefitted her development of research skills and neuroscience. Smith expects to graduate in 2024 and to continue working toward her doctorate.

Jeter is IU East’s latest recipient of the Gilman Scholarship. They learned of the scholarship program through faculty and the IU East Office of Financial Aid. Jeter is a senior, majoring in History with a minor in Spanish. After graduation, they plan to pursue their master’s degree in either Cultural Anthropology or Public Policy. They hope to work as an advocate for misrepresented communities, directly assisting those impacted by poor access to resources, poverty and food insecurity.

Jeter plans on participating in the study abroad trip across several Spanish cities: Seville, Toledo, Cordova, Granada, Madrid, and Barcelona.

Students under any degree path can apply for the Gilman Scholarship, which requires the student to be a Pell Grant recipient. The scholarship provides awards up to $5,000 for foreign study.

Nearly 3,000 scholarships will be awarded this academic year for U.S. citizen undergraduates to study or intern abroad. Students may also seek additional scholarship opportunities through the Study Abroad office at IU East.