Record Five W&L Students Awarded Gilman Scholarships to Study Abroad Cage Tevis ’21, Bo Garfinkel ’21, Jeremiah Kohl ’22, Collin Frazey ’23 and Tanajia Moye-Green ’23 will study abroad.

By Will Edgar
August 10, 2020

“There is a world beyond the university campus and classrooms. Through the global exchange of students, nations share their values and cultures and make it easier to collaborate on solutions to everything from poverty to climate change to space exploration.”

~ Mark Rush, Director of W&L’s Center for Global Learning and the Stanley D. and Nikki Waxberg Professor of Politics and Law

The Gilman Scholarship Program recently announced its recipients for the upcoming academic year, with Washington and Lee University having five students selected and another student named as an alternate. This year’s total of Gilman Scholars is the most W&L has ever had in one year. This year’s recipients include:

• Timothy “Cage” Tevis ’21 (to study in Russia)
• Bo Garfinkel ’21 (to study in Taiwan)
• Jeremiah Kohl ’22 (to study with the Williams School’s Cape Town program in South Africa)
• Collin Frazey ’23 (to study with the Williams School’s Cape Town program in South Africa)
• Tanajia Moye-Green ’23 (to study with the Williams School’s Cape Town program in South Africa)
• Alternate: Lucy Herdelin ’23 (to study/teach in Argentina).

The Gilman Scholarship Program, named for retired congressman Benjamin A. Gilman, seeks to diversify the kinds of students who study or intern abroad, and the countries and regions they visit, by offering awards of up to $5,000 to U.S. undergraduate students who are Pell Grant recipients. The scholarship is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and the program is administered by the Institute of International Education.

“I’m very proud of all of our Gilman applicants for the time and energy they put into their application materials,” said Matthew Loar, W&L’s Director of Fellowships. “To have five applicants selected as Gilman Scholars and one as an alternate is a real testament to the quality of our students. It also underscores a point I share with potential fellowship applicants: Regardless of your major or class year, if you’re willing to put in the work the application requires, you can be competitive for any of these fellowships.”

More than 7,000 applicants were considered for the recent award period, and roughly 2,500 outstanding students were offered scholarships to participate in credit-bearing study and intern abroad programs. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Gilman Scholarship Program is requiring all students to defer their awards to programs starting between January 1 and December 31, 2021. The scholars’ programs must be for academic study or a credit-earning internship, which includes at least 21 consecutive days out of the country.

In light of the pandemic, Gilman Scholars are able to use their awards to support virtual opportunities including international internships, intensive language programs at an institution based outside of the U.S., and faculty-led study abroad programs.

“The current state of unrest across the globe and the impact of the COVID pandemic on global mobility highlight the importance of study abroad and global education,” said Mark Rush, Director of W&L’s Center for Global Learning and the Stanley D. and Nikki Waxberg Professor of Politics and Law. “There is a world beyond the university campus and classrooms. Through the global exchange of students, nations share their values and cultures and make it easier to collaborate on solutions to everything from poverty to climate change to space exploration. Similarly, nations import a greater understanding of one another’s cultures and values by welcoming international students. By making it possible for students of all backgrounds to deepen and broaden their educations and understanding of other cultures, global education sows the seeds of peace.”

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