UAH senior Gwyer Sinclair will study abroad with Gilman Scholarship

Gwyer Sinclair will study in Bristol in the United Kingdom this fall.

Michael Mercier | UAH

An Honors Program senior majoring in electrical engineering at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) has been selected for a Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship this year.

His scholarship allows Gwyer Sinclair to study in Bristol in the United Kingdom this fall via UAH’s affiliation agreement with the University Studies Abroad Consortium.

"The University of Bristol is internationally acclaimed for its research and degree programs, and I look forward to the British style of education," says Sinclair, whose hometown is De Pere, Wis. "Studies aside, I am interested in learning more about the culture. I will enjoy exploring Bristol and other British landmarks, and meeting other like-minded students."

"Gwyer's intent to enhance his engineering studies in Bristol reflects his interest to expand and enrich his perspectives on his chosen field of study and future career," says Dr. David Johnson, director of the UAH Global Studies Program and an associate professor of Global Studies and German.

"Employers increasingly seek to hire those who have challenged themselves in new environments, and studying abroad provides students like Gwyer invaluable opportunities to challenge themselves and succeed in different contexts," Dr. Johnson says. "Gwyer will also be able to meet people from all over the world and develop new and lasting friendships."

The Gilman Scholarship is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Dept. of State and administered by the Institute of International Education. The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs fosters mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries to promote friendly, sympathetic and peaceful relations.

The scholarship is a grant program that enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad, thereby gaining skills critical to national security and economic competitiveness.

The Gilman Scholarship Program is open to U.S. citizen undergraduate students who are receiving Federal Pell Grant funding at a two-year or four-year college or university to participate in study and intern abroad programs worldwide.

"I was so excited to hear about my selection as one of this year’s Gilman Scholars. It is an opportunity to expand my experience abroad, meaning I will be a representative of the U.S., in addition to a student," Sinclair says. "Of course, I was also relieved for the financial assistance."

Sinclair applied for the Gilman Scholarship through the UAH Office of International Services and Office of Study Abroad.

"I would in particular like to thank Dr. Johnson for his advice, not only on this grant application, but for his help throughout the whole process of preparing to study abroad," Sinclair says.

"I'm always thrilled when engineering students decide to study abroad," Dr. Johnson says. "Their programs of study are very full, and these students seek programs that enable them to maintain their academic progress, explore different cultures and meet new people from all over the world."

Sinclair encourages UAH students of all majors and backgrounds to consider studying or interning abroad, and says that opportunities like this one can make it possible.

"Both federal and private programs are making the financial barrier easier to overcome than ever," Sinclair says. "The UAH Office of Study Abroad is a great resource for anyone thinking about these opportunities."