Nineteen Clemson students — including 16 from South Carolina — are studying abroad this year through nationally competitive Gilman Scholarships.
The U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program awards nearly 3,000 merit-based scholarships every year for undergraduate students to study or intern abroad, providing them with skills critical to our national security and economic prosperity. The program received a record number of 17,000 applications nationwide during the 2024-2025 academic year.
“Clemson students continue to lead the state in Gilman Scholarship awards, earning recognition at nearly twice the national selection rate,” said Robyn Curtis, director of the Office of Major Fellowships. “Supporting students through the application process is a collaborative effort across campus — one that reflects Clemson’s strong commitment to global engagement and the transformative impact of these opportunities on student success.”
Scholarship recipients will embark on study abroad opportunities in Central America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania.
Clemson’s Gilman Scholarship recipients selected in the 2024-25 academic year are:
Gilman Scholarship Recipient 223611_b20c54-3e> |
Major 223611_3ee274-93> |
Home State 223611_ae9920-3c> |
Country of study 223611_003297-c5> |
---|---|---|---|
Sarah Bandhauer 223611_36f571-3b> |
Food Science and Human Nutrition 223611_c254a9-4d> |
South Carolina 223611_53d49d-70> |
Spain 223611_e4a3b8-1e> |
Jaila Bostic 223611_9d06b2-a3> |
Anthropology 223611_9d90ac-fc> |
South Carolina 223611_aa310f-46> |
Hungary 223611_2576c6-de> |
Lydia Rosemary Branham 223611_03e673-71> |
Management 223611_5feb01-ce> |
South Carolina 223611_5cf110-65> |
Italy 223611_82b401-db> |
Abigayle Correia 223611_523cf0-a5> |
Accounting and Management 223611_9d024d-13> |
Massachusetts 223611_be5f40-76> |
Italy 223611_f73c1d-ef> |
Matthew da Rocha 223611_991902-d7> |
Civil Engineering 223611_5aa523-f9> |
South Carolina 223611_4fd520-55> |
Spain 223611_63c8e2-ec> |
Kylie Deweese 223611_6f6adc-31> |
Sports Communication and Marketing 223611_ac19d3-a0> |
South Carolina 223611_ebaa07-81> |
United Kingdom, France 223611_adc4b7-f0> |
Miaha Grant 223611_8a8861-2a> |
Marketing 223611_27c219-36> |
South Carolina 223611_c3c1db-91> |
United Kingdom, France 223611_e352f4-f5> |
Sofia Gray 223611_1664bd-87> |
Computer Science 223611_ed25d9-4a> |
South Carolina 223611_ac66af-34> |
Japan 223611_6b2757-f0> |
Julia Harbour 223611_5721d8-22> |
Sports Communication 223611_55434e-c2> |
New York 223611_63a402-5f> |
Semester at Sea (multi-country) 223611_48733d-70> |
Triniti Henderson 223611_b2bdc8-5a> |
Architecture 223611_c441c9-39> |
South Carolina 223611_f116d4-bf> |
Spain 223611_70ece9-96> |
Elizabeth Livesay 223611_3d6103-94> |
Chemistry 223611_0b709d-2a> |
South Carolina 223611_22333c-96> |
Mexico 223611_133153-18> |
Alejandra Martinez-Marin 223611_f78a2f-d8> |
Political Science 223611_1763b6-e3> |
South Carolina 223611_d289f6-f6> |
Serbia 223611_69a105-c7> |
Madelynn McConathy 223611_c763b9-36> |
Chemical Engineering 223611_6976a1-c2> |
South Carolina 223611_f8df49-81> |
Denmark 223611_81ac4b-88> |
Ammar Mohamed 223611_f77f7b-80> |
Biomedical Engineering 223611_392453-6c> |
South Carolina 223611_67a5c9-97> |
Mexico 223611_f30f09-fa> |
Jaden Naylor 223611_b3e733-64> |
Computer Science 223611_0dea7b-d4> |
South Carolina 223611_ae29c8-31> |
Japan 223611_f5b8e0-95> |
Roselyn Vardales 223611_439da8-a3> |
Architecture 223611_9606b6-8d> |
South Carolina 223611_bdb9d4-46> |
Italy 223611_05c475-87> |
Emma Wickman 223611_26ae73-c8> |
Modern Languages (American Sign Language) 223611_e3d592-b1> |
Montana 223611_4e990a-48> |
Australia, New Zealand 223611_787473-73> |
This group of scholars will represent the United States overseas and will build the global networks and foreign language skills needed to support U.S. economic and national security interests.
Clemson also has two recipients for the Gilman-McCain Scholarship, which honors the late Arizona Senator John S. McCain’s legacy of public service. The program financially supports children and spouses of active or activated United States military personnel in developing leadership and career readiness skills and a global perspective. The goal is to encourage recipients to pursue careers of service and contribute to preserving the principles and alliances that are critical to an international order based on the rule of law, human rights and democracy.
This year’s awardees are:
GILMAN-McCAIN SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT 223611_b6ff6d-e4> |
MAJOR 223611_9c1f2d-5d> |
HOME STATE 223611_277ff3-3f> |
COUNTRY OF STUDY 223611_1c57b3-20> |
Jalen Cherry 223611_dae0a9-ee> |
Biological Sciences 223611_3926b6-68> |
South Carolina 223611_ed68df-e7> |
Mexico 223611_1ab66c-d8> |
Serenity Epps 223611_3eb2bb-0c> |
Psychology 223611_b0b39c-24> |
South Carolina 223611_c1c7ab-20> |
Mexico 223611_4b89b8-97> |
Exploring medicine overseas
Both of Clemson’s Gilman-McCain Scholars, along with Gilman Scholars Elizabeth Livesay and Ammar Mohamed, are participating in the College of Science’s faculty-directed Global Experiences in Health Professions study abroad opportunity to Oaxaca, Mexico, this summer. This experiential learning opportunity allows Clemson students to shadow physicians while building skills in cultural competencies, ethics and Spanish language learning.

Mohamed, a biomedical engineering student from Charleston, just completed his first year at Clemson and aspires to attend medical school after graduation. He chose to study abroad in Mexico to gain clinical hours early in his college career while learning how to communicate across languages and cultures, which he believes is vital to a career in medicine in the U.S. “I’m excited to work in real clinics, improve my Spanish and learn directly from local professionals,” said Mohamed. He also shares that this opportunity to study abroad is “a chance to grow in ways I couldn’t inside a classroom.”
Mohamed chose to attend Clemson University because of its strong programs in science, health and engineering, as well as the sense of community he felt when he visited. He knew Clemson would be uniquely able to support his academic and personal growth.
Clemson felt like a place where I could challenge myself, meet people from different backgrounds and still feel connected and supported. The opportunities here—like research, service and studying abroad—have already helped me grow and will continue to shape me in ways I couldn’t have imagined.
AMMAR MOHAMED, BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING MAJOR
Studying STEM abroad
Madelynn McConathy, a fourth-year chemical engineering student from Spartanburg, knew studying abroad was a priority for her college education. However, she has participated in the Center for Career and Professional Development’s Cooperative Education Program (Co-op Program) for three semesters. With this rigorous academic load, she was unsure how to fit a study abroad term into her graduation plan.
With guidance from Clemson’s Pam Hendrix Center for Education Abroad, McConathy secured a summer study opportunity at the Technical University of Denmark in Copenhagen, where she will earn course credit and gain hands-on experience in a premier pilot plant for process engineering and design.
For McConathy, this opportunity is not only an academic achievement — it’s a personal milestone. “This will be my first time traveling outside the U.S. and I’m so excited to step out of my comfort zone, learn about new cultures and collaborate with international peers to solve real-world engineering problems.”
She encourages Clemson students interested in applying for the Gilman Scholarship to start early and persevere if they are not initially selected. “Reapplying helped me reflect, grow and ultimately submit a much stronger application. I’m so glad I didn’t give up — it taught me the value of perseverance and self-improvement. I would encourage anyone who is unsure to keep going and give it another shot!”
Receiving the Gilman Scholarship has opened doors I never thought were possible. I’m especially thankful for the guidance I received from the Office of Major Fellowships at Clemson. I want students to know they don’t have to navigate the process alone; there are incredible resources and people who want to see you succeed.
MADELYNN McCONATHY, CHEMICAL ENGINEERING MAJOR
Students interested in applying for the Gilman International Scholarship and other nationally competitive awards should contact the Office of Major Fellowships at 864-656-9704 or email fellowships@clemson.edu.
Information about study abroad options can be found at clemson.edu/studyabroad.
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