World of opportunity: Gilman scholarships help six K-Staters with education abroad experiences
Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020
MANHATTAN — Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships will help six Kansas State University students study around the world in spring and summer 2021.
Recipients of the scholarship, worth up to $5,000 to study abroad, are Nisha Ingle, senior in hospitality management and German, Humboldt; Jian-Yang "Joey" Huang, senior in biology and pre-veterinary medicine, Kansas City; Paige Eichkorn, senior in journalism and mass communications, Lenexa; Katelynn Clark, senior in horticulture production, Manhattan; Hildana Abamegal, junior in mechanical engineering, Olathe; and Ayana Belk, master's student in landscape architecture, Kansas City, Missouri.
The Gilman Scholarship Program helps U.S. undergraduate students at two-year or four-year colleges or universities participate in study abroad programs worldwide. Gilman scholarships are congressionally funded and established by the International Academic Opportunity Act of 2000.
Ingle will take part in a two-week cultural tour in Berlin, Germany, and then participate in a four-week language study at the Herder Institute in Leipzig, Germany. Since German is Ingle's secondary major, she said studying in Germany will give her real-world experience and course credits in the language. As a hospitality management major, she said her time abroad will provide her with a more extensive understanding of how other countries deal with service management fields.
"While I am in Germany I hope to look closely at personally owned businesses as I want to open my own restaurant someday and I want to see how they are handled in Germany versus America," Ingle said.
Ingle is a graduate of Humboldt High School and is the daughter of James Leroy and Greta Ingle.
Huang, who is originally from Taipei, Taiwan, is heading to Rikkyo University in Tokyo, Japan, to study Japanese and Japanese culture in spring 2021. Following his trip, he hopes to start veterinary school in fall 2021.
"Since Japanese culture can be very distinct compared to our Western culture, I hope studying it will give me a new perspective on different things to help me become a more well-rounded person and be successful in vet school," Huang said.
A member of the Taiwanese Student Association, Japanese Student Association, Japanese Language Club and the Pre-Veterinary Medicine Club, Huang volunteered with the Riley County Human Society where he served as cat coordinator and assisted at the T. Russell Reitz Animal Shelter in Manhattan. The son of Ron Kean, Huang is a graduate of Blue Valley High School in Stilwell.
Eichkorn is finalizing plans to study in the United Kingdom during summer 2021 at either the University of Stirling in Scotland or the University of Westminster in London. She plans to study criminology and also take any available unmanned aircraft systems classes.
A copy editor and online editor of Manhappenin' Magazine, Eichkorn has also worked at the Royal Purple yearbook and Kansas State Collegian. She hopes her education abroad experience will give her the confidence and leadership skills needed to be an investigative crime reporter.
"I plan on interviewing at least 10 new people at a publication at my university overseas to gain insight into how their deadline process, team structure and more work," Eichkorn said. "With this new perspective, I'll be able to bring ideas back to Manhappenin' Magazine, the Collegian and the Royal Purple."
The founder of Wildcats Against Sexual Violence, Eichkorn is also a member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority. Among her honors include a Student Opportunity Award through K-State Proud, the Martha F. and Samuel H. Logan Journalism Scholarship, Andrea Glenn Journalism Scholarship and the William Haak Scholarship. She received first place in feature writing at the 2019 Kansas Collegiate Media Conference. She is a graduate of Shawnee Mission Northwest High School where she competed in swim and cross country. Eichkorn is the daughter of Jennifer Eichkorn.
Clark will study Asian culture and Japanese language while in Japan as part of K-State's Kansai Gaidai program during summer 2021. She also plans to do independent research on Japanese horticulture practices.
"I chose Japan because I love the various Asian cultures and I've always had a great interest in Japan," Clark said. "I think this experience will give me the chance to explore how my future field operates in different countries with different cultures and how agriculture is handled in a smaller country."
A K-State First scholar, Clark is a graduate of Bonner Springs High School and the daughter of Tosha Clark, Leavenworth.
In spring 2021, Abamegal will study at Czech Technical University in the Czech Republic.
"I am excited to receive this scholarship, which will allow me to continue my education abroad," Abamegal said. "I can't wait for all the places I will visit, the food I will eat and all the people I will get to meet."
At K-State, Abamegal is the current vice president of the National Society of Black Engineers and has previously served as the organization's parliamentarian and secretary. She also is a member of Circle K, which does community service work and projects that give back to the community.
A graduate of Olathe Northwest High School, Abamegal is the daughter of Teshome Ditamo and Ayda Homa.
Belk plans to seek a summer 2021 international internship in Kenya to earn academic credit toward her landscape architecture degree.
"I love to study and work with communities, particularly ones with large populations of children," Belk said. "I hope that by going to Kenya, I can learn more about how communities create and interact in public spaces with limited resources and materials."
Among her activities at K-State, Belk is former president of the National Organization of Architecture Students, former campus unity director for the Student Governing Association and a strengths peer coach through the Staley School of Leadership Studies. An undergraduate researcher and three-year member of the Developing Scholars Program, Belk's research focus was on ways to revive Troost Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri, by reusing vacant lots.
Belk's honors include the Dean of Student Life Outstanding Graduating Senior Award, Edgerley-Franklin scholar, winner of the 2018 freshman grand prize from the Kirmser undergraduate research program and recipient of the 2019 Kansas City Architectural Foundation Women in Design Scholarship. Belk earned May 2020 semester honors. A graduate of Lincoln College Preparatory Academy, Belk is the daughter of Y'anita Crim.
The next Gilman Scholarship application deadline is Oct. 6 for students whose programs start between Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2021. If you are interested in learning more about this prestigious scholarship and how to get started with your application, please check out the upcoming Gilman events at k-state.edu/abroad/current-students/events/index.html. If you have questions about the Gilman Scholarship, please email Sara Boro, Education Abroad advisor, at seboro@k-state.edu.
