Every year, more than 3,000 Pell Grant recipients become Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholars, studying abroad in over 160 different countries and representing over 1,300 different university and colleges. Meet two of them—Robert Larsen and Max Courval—and hear their stories!
Why did you want to learn abroad?
Robert Larsen: When I was a junior in high school, my family hosted a foreign exchange student from Berlin, Germany named Jim. Over the course of the year that Jim spent in our home, he and I grew to be great friends. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about German culture through Jim, and I equally enjoyed sharing American culture with him. I experienced firsthand how interacting with cultures, places, and beliefs other than your own expands your worldview and helps you become a more understanding and well-rounded individual.
Max Courval: I knew that in order to improve my Portuguese language skills, it was necessary for me to immerse myself in Portuguese society and culture. Spending a semester abroad in Lisbon, Portugal while enrolled in advanced Portuguese language courses alongside classes on Portuguese history, architecture, and culture was the perfect way to achieve my goal.
What resources and support did you use while crafting your Gilman application?
Robert: I was fortunate to have great professors during my undergraduate years who strongly encouraged me to study abroad. I had a good relationship with each of them, so when it came time to ask for their help, they were more than willing to help me put together my Gilman application.
It was by contacting the study abroad office at my university that I found out about the Gilman scholarship in the first place. They were also very helpful in making sure that I had a well-prepared application. So, I would also suggest that students contact the study abroad office at their university to see if there is anyone who can help them with their application.
Max: I sought support from a variety of offices and advisors on my campus, including my study abroad office and office for national scholarships. Both provided me with constructive feedback while writing my Gilman application and ultimately helped me effectively communicate the profound impact that learning abroad would have on my academic, professional, and personal trajectory.
How did Gilman impact your academic and professional path?
Robert: Having the chance to study Italy while in Italy was a completely different experience than reading a book about it on my home campus. Studying Italian history and culture while being surrounded by it helped me internalize what I was learning and to better apply it as a student and global citizen.
Gilman also enabled me to further explore my interest in international law and business. Through Gilman I was able to intern at a law firm in Rome where I researched international human rights, and the legal complexities of globalized economies. This experience further inspired me to apply to law school and continues to motivate me today as a first-year law student.
Max: Gilman completed reoriented my academic and professional trajectory. My Gilman experience abroad cemented my love for Portuguese language and solidified my pursuit of fluency!
I continued to study Portuguese language through the Critical Language Scholarship and then moved to Utah to pursue my Master of Arts in Latin American Studies here at the U, thanks to the Center for Latin American Studies’ Foreign Language and Area Studies fellowship for Portuguese. Now, I get to work in the field of international education and use my passion to help others reimagine and transform their future through learning abroad.
What advice would you give to students applying?
Robert: The best advice I can give to students who are applying for the Gilman Scholarship is to be yourself. Take the time to dig deep into who you are and what is important to you, then weave those things into your Gilman application.
I also strongly encourage students to remember that there is no such thing as a single “ideal” candidate for Gilman. Do not write what you think that those reading your application want to hear, instead, write what best genuinely represents you and your reasons for applying.
Gilman Scholars come from a wide array of experiences and backgrounds. By simply being yourself, you can contribute to the diversity of what it means to be a Gilman Scholar.
Max: If not you, then who? Don’t ever self-select out of the process! Gilman represents students from all backgrounds across the United States.
What are you looking forward to doing as a Gilman Alumni Ambassador?
Robert: I’m look forward to sharing my passion for international education with others. My study abroad experience truly changed my life for the better, and I want to help others have a similarly positive experience. I personally believe that everyone should have the opportunity to study abroad, so I am excited to promote a scholarship program that empowers people to have that chance.
Max: Getting to talk to students who are at the beginning of their learning abroad journey and hearing about their ambitions is so gratifying. When students realize that learning abroad isn’t a dream but a feasible possibility, their excitement is contagious.
Learn more about Gilman and other Nationally Competitive Scholarships available to U students.
More About Robert
Robert studied abroad in Rome, Italy during the summer of 2023 as a Gilman Scholar through the BYU Rome Internship Program. He recently graduated from BYU with a Bachelor of Arts in Italian with a minor in Global Business and Literacy and is currently pursuing a law degree at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law. He is enthusiastic about sharing his experience as a Gilman scholar and is more than happy to help if you are interested in learning more about the Gilman Scholarship Program. Please do not hesitate to reach out!
More About Max
Max studied abroad as a Gilman scholar in Lisbon, Portugal in Fall 2019 through CIEE. He is also a recipient of the additional Critical Need Language Award through Gilman. He graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Arts in geography and is currently working as a Faculty-Led Coordinator at Learning Abroad in the Office for Global Engagement at the University of Utah.