Chris Zaman, a Summa Cum Laude graduate with a double major in International Business and Supply Chain Management with a minor in Japanese, was selected as a recipient of the Gilman McCain Scholarship. The Gilman-McCain Scholarship is a congressionally funded initiative of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and named after the late senator John S. McCain from Arizona.
A pro tip from Chris: “A bit of the process is copying the page from the scholarship and making sure that you have three main points to clarify as you write your application. Find something that’s unique to yourself, something beyond what the normal applicant would place on their application. For example, [I talked about] my involvement with overcoming struggles and how that could apply to future endeavors.” Chris offers additional advice to students thinking about studying abroad or applying to the Gilman-McCain Scholarship in his interview:
Q: In your own words, what is the importance of international education? How has this impacted your life?
A: “As a young professional, international education presents access to opportunities, facilitates cross-cultural collaboration, and helps overall with adaptability. International education impacted my life by allowing me to see and grasp any opportunity that came from networking to applying to programs.”
Q: What would you say is the best way for students to gain the most from an experience like yours? What advice would you give?
A: “It’s very easy to study abroad as long as you have finances figured out. You need to have flexibility when it comes to being able to develop a sense of adventure early on. My way of preparing myself was to explore my local community and travel to local states nearby. The self-improvement piece and the involvement piece [is important], it’s like applying for a job.”
Q: What additional advice would you give?
A: “I recommend that students take the initiative to expand their horizons outside of the classroom. Whether it is grabbing lunch with locals or joining a judo club in France, I took the time to genuinely learn about my host country’s culture.”
Q: How can students leverage this experience with their future professional pursuits?
A: “Students may leverage this experience in regards to cross-cultural or multicultural collaboration skills, language proficiency, and project management in their career.”
Q: How do you hope to encourage other students like yourself to pursue this opportunity? What advice would you give them?
A: “I hope to share my experience in France, argue the professional merit of such an opportunity, and emphasize the benefits of the Gilman Scholarship. I advise future applicants to share diverse work or leadership experiences, relatable challenges they overcame, and their uniqueness. I am a resource to anyone that wants to apply for the Gilman scholarship.“
Q: What would you say is the best way for students to gain the most from a study abroad experience? What advice would you give students who are interested in studying abroad?
A: “You need to have flexibility when it comes to being able to develop a sense of adventure early on. My way of preparing myself was to explore my local community and travel to local states nearby. Those experiences really help build your character with traveling and immersing yourself with cultures and programs. It’s a great way to see that we all have humanity no matter where we are from.”
For more information about how to apply for the Gilman-McCain Program go to https://www.gilmanscholarship.org/program/gilman-mccain-scholarships/. For support on your application, further resources for scholarships, or advice on getting started, please contact Nationally Competitive Scholarships at ncs@appstate.edu or visit ncs.appstate.edu.
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About Nationally Competitive Scholarships
Nationally Competitive Scholarships (NCS) works with the Appalachian community to recruit and support students for nationally competitive scholarships and fellowships, including those that support Nationally Competitive Scholarships (NCS) works with the Appalachian community to recruit and support students for nationally competitive scholarships and fellowships, including those that support research, teaching and critical language learning. This is achieved with outreach, mentorship and advising throughout the entire application and selection process. NCS is committed to helping undergraduate and graduate students find ways to connect their Appalachian education to their future endeavors through scholarship opportunities. Learn more at ncs.appstate.edu & gilmanscholarship.org
About the Office of International Education and Development
Formed in 2007, University College consists of the university’s general education program, faculty and student support, and co-curricular programming and support – all designed to support the work of students both inside and outside the classroom. All students at Appalachian begin their education in University College and benefit from its programs until they graduate. Learn more at universitycollege.appstate.edu.
Compiled and Written by Sierra Laricchiuti
December 13th, 2022
Boone, N.C.
Chris Zaman
Gilman Recipient