12 Rutgers Students Across All Campuses Earn Gilman Scholarships for Study Abroad
Rutgers University is proud to announce that 12 students from across its New Brunswick, Newark, and Camden campuses have been awarded the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship for the Spring 2026 cycle.
Funded by the U.S. Department of State, the Gilman Scholarship supports students of limited financial means in pursuing study or internship opportunities abroad, helping to foster cross-cultural understanding and prepare the next generation of globally engaged leaders.
“We are incredibly proud of this year’s Gilman Scholars and the breadth of experiences they will pursue around the world,” said Lauren Meregalli Ferrer, Director of Study Abroad at Rutgers Global. “From internships in Prague and business programs in Mexico to language study in Spain, refugee studies in Kenya, and coursework at leading universities in Europe and Asia, these students are demonstrating the many ways global learning can complement and enhance a Rutgers education.”
Meet Rutgers’ Gilman Scholars
Rutgers–New Brunswick
• Rengui Lin — London School of Economics (England)
• Irit Wiseman — FU-BEST at Freie Universität Berlin (Germany)
• Katelyn Watkins — Rutgers in Spain
• Zarahi Vaca — Rutgers-Kenya: Learning from the Refugee Experience in East Africa
• Karen Tantalean — John Cabot University (Italy)
• Ameerha Alli — Open Campus in the Americas (Various Locations in Latin America)
• Ryan Hart — CELA Belize
Rutgers–Camden
• Lucas Liona — CEA Internship Program in Prague (Czech Republic)
• Oscar Rios Barragan — Doing Business in Mexico
Rutgers–Newark
• Danny Carmona — Rutgers-Constitutions and the Founding of the American Republic
• Abegail Nunez Bano
• Jocelyn Weiss — Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (China)
Lynell James, Program Manager for Student Enrollment & Access Initiatives at Rutgers Global, who works closely with students throughout the Gilman application process, noted that Rutgers Global programming played a significant role in this year’s success. “Notably, 10 of the 12 Gilman recipients will be participating in Rutgers Global–Study Abroad programs,” James said.
James also highlighted the importance of application support resources offered to students. “This cohort benefited from essay-writing support provided by our office in collaboration with Erin Dacey, a Gilman Ambassador from March 2025. Students who participated in these sessions were able to strengthen their applications through targeted feedback and guidance,” she said.
Strong Results in a Highly Competitive Year
Rutgers students earned Gilman Scholarships during one of the program’s most competitive cycles to date. The March 2026 cycle reflected a national acceptance rate of just 9.4 percent, down from 15.6 percent in March 2025. “Roughly one in ten applicants received the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship,” James noted.
Student Reflections
For many students, the Gilman Scholarship represents far more than financial support — it is an opportunity to pursue lifelong dreams, deepen academic interests, and broaden personal and professional horizons.
“As a first-generation college student and proud Peruvian, receiving the Gilman Scholarship means so much to me because it makes studying abroad in Rome more accessible and meaningful,” said Karen Tantalean. “This opportunity will allow me to represent my family, my culture, and my community while gaining a global perspective that will shape my personal growth and future career in finance.”
Katelyn Watkins emphasized the impact of language and cultural immersion on her future career goals. “Receiving the Gilman Scholarship means having the opportunity to deepen my love of language by experiencing it in a new cultural context and seeing how communication can connect people despite differences,” Watkins said. “I look forward to bringing these experiences back to the United States so I can better connect with and support the diverse students and communities I hope to serve.”
For Ameerha Alli, the scholarship is helping turn a long-held dream into reality. “Studying abroad has been a dream of mine since I was young,” Alli said. “Thanks to the Gilman Scholarship, that dream has become a reality and an opportunity to further expand my passion for law.”
Danny Carmona reflected on how the opportunity aligns with his academic and professional aspirations. “Receiving the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship is deeply meaningful to me because it represents an opportunity to continue growing academically and personally through international study,” Carmona said. “Studying at the University of Oxford represents both an academic milestone and an important step toward my long-term goals in public affairs and public leadership.”
For Irit Wiseman, the scholarship opens the door to new experiences and perspectives. “Receiving the Gilman Scholarship means the imminent broadening of my horizon,” Wiseman said. “It makes my dreams of traveling to meet new people, see new places, and encounter new ideas not only feasible, but achievable.”
As Rutgers continues to expand access to global learning opportunities, the achievements of these 12 students underscore the university’s commitment to preparing students for leadership in an interconnected world.
