Study abroad scholarships open new doors for two CWU students

Two Central Washington University students will be studying abroad over the next year thanks to a pair of competitive scholarship awards.

Tess Ellsworth received the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship from the U.S. Department of State and will spend the fall semester at the University of Pécs in Hungary. Another Wildcat, Ayla Lee, was awarded the Freeman-ASIA scholarship, which will fund her stay in South Korea from March to December 2027.

Ellsworth just completed her third year at CWU and is pursuing dual degrees in psychology and business. She had been looking for a study abroad opportunity, but she wasn’t sure how she would be able to afford it. That’s where the Office of International Studies and Programs (OISP) stepped in.

“I went to OISP for an exploratory meeting about study abroad, and I was very up front that I didn’t have a lot of money to pay for it,” Ellsworth said. “They told me about a number of scholarship opportunities, so I applied for as many as I could.”

The Gilman Program provides up to $5,000 in merit-based scholarships to outstanding American undergraduate students with high financial need to pursue credit-bearing academic studies and career-oriented internships abroad.

Ellsworth has been saving her money from her job as a psychology tutor in the Learning Commons, and she will work with CWU Custodial Services this summer to help cover her remaining expenses. But the Gilman Scholarship will provide an enormous boost.

“I submitted the application back in February, and I wasn’t sure what would happen,” she said. “But then I got an email telling me to check my Gilman account, and there was a new page saying I had received a scholarship. I was completely elated because without it, I didn’t know if I would be able to go.”

Lee will have the fall and winter quarters to prepare for her Freeman-ASIA study abroad opportunity, which is slated to begin in March.

The junior Asian Studies major said she has wanted to study abroad for many years, so she dropped by OISP to inquire about potential scholarship opportunities.

The staff informed her about the Freeman Awards for Study in Asia (Freeman-ASIA), which provides scholarships for U.S. undergraduate students with demonstrated financial need to study abroad in East or Southeast Asia. The foundation’s goal is to develop a greater appreciation of Asian cultures, histories, and economies in the United States.

“I have always been interested in the South Korean culture and language, and I want to learn to speak Korean fluently,” said Lee, who is pursuing a minor in International Studies. “I also hope that I can someday live in South Korea or be able to travel there more often.”

Likewise, Ellsworth is hoping her study abroad experience in Hungary will open some new doors for her as a student and future professional.

She’s going to be tested while she’s there, taking 24 credits, which is equivalent to 18 credits in the CWU system. But as a Douglas Honors College (DHC) student, she feels like she knows what it’s going to take.

“I’m taking two psychology classes and one DHC class, which is called The History of Science,” Ellsworth said. “It will definitely be a full load, but I feel like I’m prepared to do well.”

Most of all, Ellsworth is looking forward to living in a foreign country after spending most of her life in Washington state.

“I’m someone who really loves to travel, and so far I’ve only gotten to visit Mexico and Canada,” she said. “But I really enjoy traveling around to different Northwest towns and seeing what the people are like. I think living in Hungary is going to give me a whole new perspective about the world, and I can’t wait to go!”