Five Loyola students win Gilman Scholarships to study abroad
| By Molly Robey
From upper left to bottom right: Sarah Aviles, ’20, Evelis Casey, ’20, Michele-Rose Limongello, ’20, Chiara Maalouf, ’20, and Katie Singley, ’20
Five Loyola University Maryland students – Sarah Aviles, ’20, Evelis Casey, ’20, Michele-Rose Limongello, ’20, Chiara Maalouf, ’20, and Katie Singley, ’20 – have each been awarded the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. The scholarship will support their study abroad experiences in spring 2019. This sets a new record for the most Loyola students receiving Gilman Scholarships at the same time.
Aviles is a Baltimore, Md., native who is looking forward to immersing herself in the culture while studying abroad in Newcastle, United Kingdom. A member of Health Outreach Baltimore and president of the Biology Club, Aviles plans to attend physician assistant school and work in the medical field.
“Newcastle University has an abundance of medical research opportunities,” said Aviles, who is a biology major and forensics studies minor.
Casey, a marketing major and French minor from Long Island, N.Y., is studying abroad in Thailand and will use her Gilman Scholarship to study in Lyon, France, next semester. Her goal is to become fluent in French and understand global cultures in a professional setting.
“I hope my experience in France is beneficial in the business world as globalization continues,” said Casey, who is a Sellinger Scholar. “I have learned to become not only tolerant of different opinions and viewpoints but welcome them with open arms."
Limongello, who is originally from Toms River, N.J., will also use her scholarship to study abroad in Newcastle, United Kingdom. She is a speech-language-hearing sciences major and believes studying a different dialect in a new country will give her opportunities to grow professionally.
“I applied for this scholarship in hopes of having a fruitful experience that I would have not been able to provide for myself. This scholarship affords me the opportunity to encounter more of my host country,” said Limongello, who is an Evergreen and Fitness & Aquatic Center supervisor.
Maalouf, who had a Hauber Summer Research Fellowship last summer and was a student leader for Camp Balticode, is a double major in computer science and applied math. She will study abroad in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
“I look forward to being in a city that is a melting pot of cultures, learning from my peers, and being immersed in an Islamic society,” said Maalouf, who is an Evergreen and a member of the Women in Technology Club. After graduation, Maalouf hopes to earn a Ph.D. in computer science.
Singley plans to study abroad at the Danish Institute for Study Abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark. She is a psychology major with a statistics minor from Philadelphia, Pa., who participated in the Baltimore Health Immersion program last summer.
“I plan to pursue a doctoral program in positive psychology,” said the Psi Chi and Leadership Honor Society member. “This experience will give me hands-on experience in the field, as well as valuable research experience that I would not be able to otherwise obtain.”
These five scholarship recipients add to the growing number of Loyola students who have received the award, including Adelina Harvey, ’18, who received the Gilman Scholarship in spring 2018 and is currently studying abroad in Spain. In 2017, three Loyola students were awarded Gilman Scholarships.
Andrea Giampetro-Meyer, J.D., professor of law and social responsibility and a faculty member on the National Fellowships Committee, provides mentorship for Gilman Scholarship applicants. She continues to help increase the number of Loyola students who receive this award.
“My primary goal is to increase awareness of the scholarship so more students from families with limited economic means will apply,” said Giampetro-Meyer. “If more students knew about the Gilman Scholarship, they might have the courage to plan to study abroad.”
About the Gilman Scholarship:
The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship eases the financial burden for exceptional U.S. undergraduate students who study or intern abroad. The Gilman International Scholarship Program is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and administered by the Institute of International Education through its office in Houston, Texas.