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UNH has been recognized by the U.S. Department of State as a top producer of Gilman Scholars between 2001 and 2025, as the scholarship program celebrates its 25-year anniversary.

The Gilman Program 25th Anniversary Top Producing Institution campaign recognizes U.S. colleges and universities that have supported the most Gilman Scholars from 2001 to 2025. UNH has had 210 Gilman Scholarship recipients during that timeframe, sending students to numerous international locales to advance their studies.

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program provides merit-based scholarships to American undergraduate students with high financial need to study or intern abroad for academic credit. UNH had previously been named a top producer of Gilman Scholars in 2022 as part of the 20-year anniversary.

“We are honored to be recognized as a leader in producing Gilman Scholars,” says UNH President Elizabeth Chilton. “Opportunities to study and work abroad expand our students’ understanding of the world and prepare them to contribute in meaningful ways wherever their careers take them. We are incredibly proud of the many UNH students who have represented our university internationally through the Gilman program.”

UNH has routinely produced large cohorts of Gilman recipients since the program was established by the U.S. Congress in 2001, including many students who have gone on to receive additional honors. Six of UNH’s Gilman recipients have also received Fulbright U.S. Student Program grants, and two of the university’s Fulbright semi-finalists this year are also Gilman recipients.

The six Gilman recipients to receive Fulbrights were:

• Darby O’Neil - English Teaching Assistant in Kazakhstan
• Gabriela Aguilera - English Teaching Assistant in Georgia
• Amada Guapisaca - English Teaching Assistant in Brazil
• Angelica Beltran-Franco – Study grant for graduate study in Norway
• Bailey Prasad - Binational Business grant in Mexico
• Taylor Nydam - Research grant in Kazakhstan

Several Gilman recipients have gone on to receive additional nationally competitive awards, as well, including Aseebulla “Aseeb” Niazi, UNH’s first Rangel Fellow, and Leandra Bryant, who received the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program.

“International education experiences are life-changing opportunities, and the Gilman scholarship helps alleviate the financial burden, which is one of the barriers that keeps students from considering going abroad,” says Leigh Pratt, director of UNH’s Office of National Fellowships. “Supporting UNH students is a team effort. The Office of National Fellowships partners with Financial Aid to help students learn about the scholarship and with Education Abroad to help students identify international opportunities. We also support students by providing coaching and editing for the application’s four short essays.”

The impact of the scholarship on recipients is often significant, and lasting. Kaley Lambert ’24 received the Gilman scholarship in 2023 to study in Italy and now works at UNH as an education coordinator for TRIO Scholars.

“I used to think that study abroad was only for rich kids. But I am able to use my first-hand experience as a first-gen, low-income student with a disability to break that stereotype and help TRIO applicants see that they can do it, too,” Lambert says. “The most valuable thing I gained from my experience abroad was a stronger sense of self and more confidence.”

Zachary Dumont ’17 received the Gilman scholarship to study in China in 2016. He was at something of a crossroads at the time – “I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with my life,” he says – taking Chinese language courses to prepare for a job with the federal government despite not being convinced that was the path he wanted to follow.

“What I found being in China was that I enjoyed sharing cross-cultural relations and fostering relationships with communities that are different from my own. When I came back, I wanted to find ways to bridge communities and find paths that most folks might not see to build relationships,” Dumont says. “Now in the day-to-day world working with General Code, a division of the International Code Council, I am using my passion for connecting with communities to help municipal governments.”

The Gilman experience ultimately left an enduring imprint on Dumont’s life for reasons well beyond professional clarity, as well.

“Feb. 10 marked 10 years since I traveled to China, and I have not stopped thinking about it,” he says. “It was the best part of my college career with the exception of meeting my future wife.”

Interested in pursuing a Gilman scholarship? Learn more about this and other opportunities available through the Office of National Fellowships.