Cerritos College News Release May 2016
Cerritos College Students Awarded U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to Study Abroad
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 9, 2016
Media Contact: Media Contact: Aya Abelon, Public Affairs; (562) 653-7878
NORWALK, CA – May 9, 2016 – Cerritos College students Miguel Felix, Amy Perez, and Gurpreet Ubbu were awarded the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs to study or intern abroad during the summer 2016 academic term.
Miguel received $4,000 towards his study abroad program costs and will study religion and philosophy in Ladahk, India. Gurpreet received $4,500 to study business and culture in Shanghai, China. Amy, who received $2,500, will participate in a forensic anthropology and archeological excavation in Limassol, Cyprus.
These three students join 1,150 American undergraduate students from 377 colleges and universities across the U.S. selected to receive Gilman Scholarship.
"In January, the Gilman Scholarship Program partnered with Cerritos College to provide a study abroad workshop for students,” said Timothy Juntilla, director, Scholars’ Honors Program at Cerritos College. “I am ecstatic that three of our students were awarded a Summer 2016 Gilman International Scholarship. This is the first step toward establishing and promoting study abroad opportunities for our students and, hopefully, we will expand our efforts and join other colleges and universities in the Generation Study Abroad initiative."
The program aims to diversify the students who study and intern abroad and the countries and regions where they go. Students receiving a Federal Pell Grant from two- and four-year institutions who will be studying abroad or participating in a career-oriented international internship for academic credit are eligible to apply. Scholarship recipients have the opportunity to gain a better understanding of other cultures, countries, languages, and economies -- making them better prepared to assume leadership roles within government and the private sector.
Congressman Gilman, who retired in 2002 after serving in the House of Representatives for 30 years and chairing the House Foreign Relations Committee, commented, “Study abroad is a special experience for every student who participates. Living and learning in a vastly different environment of another nation not only exposes our students to alternate views, but also adds an enriching social and cultural experience. It also provides our students with the opportunity to return home with a deeper understanding of their place in the world, encouraging them to be a contributor, rather than a spectator in the international community.”
About Cerritos College: Cerritos College serves as a comprehensive community college for southeastern Los Angeles County. Communities within the college’s district include Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, Downey, Hawaiian Gardens, La Mirada, Norwalk, and portions of Bell Gardens, Lakewood, Long Beach, Santa Fe Springs and South Gate. Cerritos College offers degrees and certificates in more than 180 areas of study in nine divisions. Annually, more than 1,200 students successfully complete their course of studies, and enrollment currently averages 23,000 students. Visit Cerritos College online at www.cerritos.edu.
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