CCU student receives $3,500 Gilman Scholarship for environmental law internship in Greece
"While I'm abroad, I'll get to do things like produce reports about illegal fishing practices and create, implement, and manage protected areas," she said. "Practicing these skills will be invaluable as I hope this will one day be my life's work. And more immediately, I think law schools will appreciate my international perspective as I apply this upcoming year."
The U.S. Department of State's Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship is a grant program that enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad, thereby gaining skills critical to our national security and economic prosperity. Awards range up to $5,000 for study, research or internship support abroad, with an additional $3,000 available when students add the study of a critical language as a part of their experience.
"Receiving the Gilman Scholarship means that I have a distinct opportunity to gain insight on environmental law from an international perspective," Doscher said. "Since the environment is inherently global, it's important that I have a dynamic understanding of the issues and solutions. The practice of environmental law is lacking in the area so I feel lucky that I can still have a relevant internship experience for my future career."
After her return to the USA, as a part of her grant, Doscher will deliver a project to help support the benefits of education abroad to others and share the benefits of the Gilman Scholarship.
Doscher is CCU's second student to receive the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. Jagger Weatherspoon was awarded the scholarship in 2017 to study abroad in Japan.
"Coastal Carolina University has developed a mentoring program to help our students apply for this grant to enable them to significantly offset the cost of the education abroad experience, whether for a faculty-led program, summer internship, or semester or year abroad," said Darla Domke-Damonte, associate provost for global initiatives at Coastal Carolina University, who coordinates the mentoring program.
For more information about the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, visit gilmanscholarship.org/program/program-overview. For more information about CCU's mentoring program for the Gilman Scholarship, contact Domke-Damonte at ddamonte@coastal.edu.