JJC student awarded Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship

Joliet Junior College student McKenzie Coleman will study overseas in Ireland thanks in part to winning the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, a federal scholarship that awards up to $5,000 to Pell Grant-eligible students to cover study abroad expenses.

Since its inception in 2001, more than 130,000 applications have been received and more than 34,000 scholarships have been awarded, giving the scholarship just more than a 26.1% acceptance rate.

Coleman’s journey abroad to Ireland will last four weeks. Much of her family is from Ireland and she recognized that visiting and exploring her family’s homeland “would be a once-in-a-lifetime chance,” according to a news release from the college.

Although Coleman is a diagnostic medical sonography student at JJC, her courses in Ireland will focus on modern Irish literature and the Irish experience. She will learn about Irish plays, texts and novels and dive into Irish history – all while traveling the country.

The Institute of International Education recently selected JJC as a recipient of an American Passport Project grant to assist students in obtaining their US passports, allowing them to participate in exciting study abroad opportunities like Coleman’s trip to Ireland.

For information, visit the JJC study abroad webpage.