French major, Faelynn Carroll has been awarded the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship for study abroad. Carroll will receive $3,000 to study in Dakar, Senegal in Summer 2012. During her time abroad, she will be studying the French language while learning firsthand about Senegalese society and culture.

Carroll was one of 500 U.S. students awarded the Gilman scholarship for the summer. A federally funded scholarship program, the Gilman offers awards for undergraduate study abroad to students who are receiving the Pell Grant.

“Many Loyola students are prime candidates to apply for this outstanding award from the U.S. Department of State. I am excited that Faelynn was selected for the honor this summer,” said Mariette Thomas, Study Abroad Advisor in the Center for International Education (CIE).

Since the inception of the scholarship program in 2001, 9,796 students across the United States have used the Gilman Scholarship to study in over 100 countries. The program encourages students to choose non-traditional study abroad destinations, especially those outside of Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

During the Summer 2012 application cycle, the Gilman Scholarship Program received 2,600 applications for 500 awards. "The campus community can be very proud of Faelynn," said Thomas.

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program is funded through the International Academic Opportunity Act of 2000 and is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.

For more information on the Gilman Scholarship program and study abroad, please visit http://studyabroad.loyno.edu.