CWU Student Awarded Gilman-McCain Scholarship to Study Abroad

Jazmin Torres Vela has become the first CWU student to be awarded a prestigious John S. McCain International Scholarship for Military Families (also known as a Gilman-McCain Scholarship) to take her studies abroad.

This summer, Vela-a double major in Interdisciplinary Studies and Spanish-will spend a month studying the language and culture of Spain at the Universidad Antonio de Nebrija in Madrid through CWU-affiliated program sponsor, International Studies Abroad (ISA). As a heritage Spanish-speaker, Vela chose Spain in order to expand her experience with the diverse dialects and cultures of the Spanish-speaking world.

Vela is a nontraditional student with children who chose her program as a way to balance her educational goals with her home life. She is supported by her parents and her husband, a sailor in the Navy. Vela's family is part of what drives her to pursue this opportunity:

"My children are part of my motivation to study abroad," she said. "I want my daughters to see that their mother is limitless and that, if she can do it, they can do it as well. Studying abroad will help me show them that women can achieve academic and professional goals as well. I want them to have an open mind about the world. I also want them to pursue higher education and study abroad in the future."

Established in 2019 under the longstanding framework of the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship and funded by the sponsored by the US Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Gilman-McCain Scholarship annually offers 100 awards of $5,000 each to child and spousal dependents of active or activated US military personnel.

Unlike the Gilman Scholarship, applicants for the Gilman-McCain Scholarship aren't required to receive a Pell Grant to be eligible, but they must receive some form of Title IV federal financial aid. Learn more about the program at gilmanscholarships.org.

To assist students and further expand access to experiences like Vela's, the Office of International Studies and Programs (OISP) has established two new education abroad scholarships targeting initial, upfront costs associated with international travel that can become barriers to participation. The WorldCat First Passport Scholarship will provide students who have never had one the funds to cover the fees (currently $165) for their first US passport book. The WorldCat Airfare Scholarship will provide up to $500 to subsidize the cost of students' travel.

OISP aims to raise $500,000 over the next five years for these scholarships. If you would like to contribute to either, you may do so online.