Eight 鶹ýAVstudents claim Gilman International Scholarships
Contact: Mary Pollitz
STARKVILLE, Miss.—Eight Mississippi State students are heading abroad this year with the help of the highly competitive Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, marking the largest group of 鶹ýAVrecipients in university history.
Funded by the U.S. Department of State, the Gilman Scholarship provides financial support for undergraduates to study abroad, with the goal of broadening access to global education. Since its inception in 2001, the program has enabled 3,500 students to study in more than 170 countries each year. During this award cycle, 鶹ýAVhonorees were chosen from approximately 17,000 applicants. The scholarship covers costs such as tuition, travel and living expenses, helping to eliminate financial barriers that often limit access to global learning opportunities.
2025 鶹ýAVGilman Scholars by hometown:
Jeremy Padilla
(Photo by Grace Cockrell)
Nicholas Welch
(Photo by Grace Cockrell)
Jesus Morales
(Photo by Beth Wynn)
Kaylee Reid
(Photo by Beth Wynn)
BAY SPRINGS—Jeremy Padilla, junior, political science and philosophy
BILOXI—Nicholas Welch, junior, cyber security and operations
BRANDON—Jesus Morales, senior, architecture
BRILLIANT, Alabama—Kaylee Reid, senior, biological sciences
JACKSON—Rayne Lewis, senior, architecture
MADISON—Yuvraj Singh, sophomore, building construction science and business administration
SAUCIER—Apollo Stafford, sophomore, computer engineering
SOUTHAVEN—Shamar Hunt, senior, English
Rayne Lewis
(Photo by Grace Cockrell)
Yuvraj Singh
(Photo by Beth Wynn)
Apollo Stafford
(Photo by Beth Wynn)
Shamar Hunt
(OPA photo)
The 鶹ýAVOffice of Study Abroad, part of the university’s International Institute, connects students with a wide range of global learning opportunities—including the Gilman Scholarship, international internships and other academic programs abroad.
“The Gilman Scholarship is a wonderful opportunity for qualifying students to be given a chance to help fund their international educational experience,” 鶹ýAVStudy Abroad Coordinator Dominique Brown said. “Studying abroad creates thrilling opportunities for our students, significantly enriching their personal, professional and academic lives both now and in the future.”
More than 70% of Gilman Scholars are chosen from rural communities or small towns, and more than half are first-generation students. 鶹ýAVrecipients will serve as cultural ambassadors, strengthening international understanding and bringing their global perspectives back to the university and their communities.
Established by the U.S. Congress, the Gilman Scholarship is an initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The next application cycle will launch in August. To learn more about the Gilman Scholarship, visit .
For more information on 鶹ýAVStudy Abroad and the International Institute, visit and .
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