ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – Kaela Elizabeth Branham, a Winthrop University sophomore from Hopkins, South Carolina, will spend time this summer in the United Kingdom.
The special education major is able to go overseas thanks to a Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship from the U.S. State Department program worth $3,000. The scholarship is designed to help students of limited financial means with the chance to study abroad, providing them with skills critical to the nation’s security and economic prosperity. It is offered through the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Her trip lasts from June 27 through July 26. She will be in central London for the majority of the time, but will also visit Bristol, Bath and the Cotswolds.
Branham said she applied for the Gilman scholarship to study cross-cultural psychology, global cuisine and educational differences in the United Kingdom compared to the United States. She is grateful for the scholarship because it will allow her to focus more on her study abroad experience and less on how she’s going to fund her trip.
“I chose to study with the American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS) program because of all the activities that are provided for the group, such as day trips to Bristol and Bath, walking tours, plays at the National Theatre, and much more,” she said.
When Branham returns to Winthrop, she plans on educating others about the study abroad experience so they can take advantage of this amazing opportunity.
Branham worked through Winthrop’s Office of Nationally Competitive Awards (ONCA) to learn more about and compete for the prestigious scholarship.
For more information, contact Judy Longshaw, news and media services manager, at longshawj@winthrop.edu or at 803/323-2404.
