Recognizing Outstanding Pennsylvania Students Awarded Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship

Floor Speech

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize 10 outstanding students across Pennsylvania's 15th Congressional District who have been awarded the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship.

The Gilman program is named after former Congressman Benjamin A. Gilman, who served in Congress from 1973 to 2003. He was chair of the House International Relations Committee and represented Upstate New York.

Established in 2001, the Gilman program is part of the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. This scholarship sponsors students to study or intern abroad during the academic year.

This program is an important part of the Federal Government's effort to expand and diversify U.S. study abroad and allows Americans to gain the global competencies that are crucial to our national security and our economic prosperity.

Since 2001, this program has allowed more than 41,000 Americans from 1,350 U.S. colleges and universities to study or intern in more than 160 countries. The Gilman program advances people-to-people diplomacy and strengthens America's role in the global marketplace.

The Gilman program continues to expand the American student population that studies abroad with nearly 70 percent of Gilman scholars identifying as students of color, 60 percent from small towns or rural parts of the United States, and nearly 50 percent are first- generation college students.

Congratulations to Rik Bhattacharyya, a student from Penn State University studying in India; Ashlyn Bird of Lycoming County, a student at Drexel University studying in the United Kingdom; Deven Dancy of Union County, a student at Susquehanna University studying in Ghana; Hannah Dees of Centre County, a student at Juniata College studying in the United Kingdom; Shawnee Geletka of Venango County, a student at College for Creative Studies studying in Italy; Saoirse Hopp of Centre County, a student at University of Pittsburgh studying in Spain; Kimberly Johnson of Potter County, a student at Drexel University studying in Italy; Luke Kantz of Snyder County, a student at University of Pittsburgh studying in India; Rute Pires of Union County, a student at Bucknell studying in Ireland; and Casey Sennett of Centre County, a student at Penn State University studying in Italy.

These students are currently studying or interning across the world.

Good luck in your studies, and enjoy your time abroad.

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