Four Elmhurst University students receive Gilman Scholarship

Four Elmhurst University students have been awarded the highly competitive Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, enabling them to pursue study abroad experiences in Australia, the United Kingdom and Argentina.

Junior Victoria Stopa is spending her entire spring term at the University of Australia.

“Studying abroad in Sydney, Australia, has always been one of my biggest dreams,” Stopa said
in a news release. “But the trip seemed unattainable until, with help from the university’s national fellowships and scholarships coordinator, Stopa was able to apply for and receive the Gilman Scholarship.

Stopa, who grew up in Addison and a small town in Poland, believes her study abroad experience will increase her global and cultural competency. A finance and international business major, Stopa hopes to work for an international company where she can support others in their financial decisions.

“I’m very grateful for this opportunity, and excited to share my story about the Gilman Scholarship and my incredible Aussie experience when I return,” she said.

The Gilman Scholarship is the U.S. Department of State’s flagship undergraduate study abroad scholarship and provides funding to U.S. Pell Grant recipients to pursue overseas study and internships.

For first-year student Maria Marsico, an Elmhurst resident, the scholarship financed nearly all of her 2024 January term trip to England, where she participated in the course EU – UK Cities as Text. Marsico, who plans to apply to the secondary education program at Elmhurst, said the Cities as Text course appealed to her because of her love for English history and her eagerness to learn more about British culture.

Sarah Hansen, a junior from Marion, Iowa, will travel to Argentina in March to teach English learners at Argentinian grade schools. Her Gilman Scholarship will fund nearly all of her study abroad expenses. A Spanish and world language education major, Hansen plans to acquire practical techniques and strategies for supporting the academic growth of emerging bilingual students while broadening her cultural understanding.

Elmhurst University junior Julia Markowski, an elementary education major from Schaumburg, is also headed to Argentina in March, to teach in local schools and to delve into the country’s unique culture and history.

“I look forward to complete immersion in Argentinean culture, an experience that will help make me a more empathetic, tolerant and inclusive teacher, and that will strengthen my relationships with students and others in my future career,” she said.

By increasing access to study abroad opportunities, Elmhurst University fosters growth-minded paths for development in our students, giving them timeless knowledge and skills to thrive as adaptive leaders.