Two CCU students awarded the U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship
Forbes, from Upper Marlboro, Md., is a rising senior majoring in exercise and sport science in CCU’s Conway Medical Center College of Health and Human Performance. In mid-June, she began shadowing a physical therapist at the Metropolitan General Hospital in Athens, Greece, as part of a five-week physical therapy internship through Cerca Abroad. This is Forbes’ first experience outside of the United States and will allow her to learn from practitioners around the world and expand her global perspective.
Forbes said, “I am stoked about this opportunity to study abroad, and I am thankful for the Gilman Scholarship, which made this possible. I believe this experience will change my outlook on education, traveling, and life in general, and I can’t wait to share it with others.”
After graduating from CCU, Forbes plans to earn a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree and eventually open her own practice.
Forbes, a first-generation college student, has been involved in various leadership positions on campus. She has served as a S.N.A.P. (Students Navigating and Advising Peers) mentor, peer leader, and a resident advisor. An active member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority, Forbes regularly participates in volunteer activities in Horry County.
“I have had the pleasure of working with Jada as a peer mentor for my first-year experience course, as a leader in her sorority, and as a student assistant in the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life,” said Amanda Eisele, director of fraternity and sorority life at CCU. “No matter the capacity, Jada always displays a strong work ethic, excitement, and determination. She is so deserving of the Gilman Scholarship, and I am certain this will continue helping her grow and excel as a student and leader in her future career.”
Simmons, a first-generation college student from Lexington, S.C., is a senior in the HTC Honors College, E. Craig Wall Sr. Wall College of Business, and Thomas W. and Robin W. Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts. He is majoring in accounting and languages and intercultural studies with a Hispanic studies concentration. In 2024, he will study business Spanish at Casco Antiguo Spanish School in Panama City, Panama. Simmons was also awarded the prestigious Boren Scholarship to support his year-long studies in Panama. Read more here.
Simmons became interested in learning Spanish in middle school. He said, “My friends, mostly from Mexico, would always make jokes in class, and I wanted to be able to partake in the conversation. Although I did not begin learning Spanish seriously until I was 18 years old, my interest in the language was sparked during this period.”
Simmons chose his business major after he searched online for the “language of business” and accounting appeared. After his first accounting class, he fell in love with it.
Simmons’ accounting internships in Barcelona, Spain, and Myrtle Beach and Columbia, S.C., independent travel in Latin America, and leadership activities during his undergraduate journey have prepared him for his year in Panama. Simmons’ goal to apply his business, language, and cultural knowledge to improve international financial transparency.
The next Gilman deadline is Oct. 5, 2023. The application will open in mid-August 2023 for applicants whose study abroad programs or internships start between Dec. 1, 2023, and Oct. 31, 2024. Click here for Gilman eligibility requirements. Students interested in applying should seek advising in the Center for Global Engagement and contact Judith Zang, director of the Office of National Scholarships, at jzang@coastal.edu.