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Health & Fitness

Harper student headed abroad on international scholarship

By Kim Pohl, Harper College News Bureau

Harper College student Khalid Abuasba has made a point of adding a global perspective to his studies.

The Schaumburg teen now has the opportunity to further his cultural immersion as a recipient of the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship.

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Abuasba, who studies German and is pursuing a degree in international business, will put the award toward the cost of his study abroad program next semester in Salzburg, Austria.

“I love to explore new cultures,” Abuasba said. “I’ve been learning German and this will be a great way to practice.”

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More than 700 American undergraduate students from 341 colleges and universities across the U.S. were selected to receive the scholarship, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and administered by the Institute of International Education.

Abuasba, a graduate of Schaumburg High School, was the only area community college student to receive the honor. Students from top universities including Brown, Cornell, Emory, Georgetown and Notre Dame also were named Gilman Scholars.

“It really says something to Khalid’s character and caliber of a student that he completed the process and was chosen,” said Colleen Tomanek, co-chair of Harper’s International Students and Programs Committee. “He was incredibly determined and persistent.”

The Gilman Scholars program aims to diversify the students who study abroad and the countries and regions where they go. It offers students with financial need the opportunity to pursue international studies and internships, better preparing them to assume significant roles in an increasingly global economy. Students eligible for the competitive selection process must be receiving a federal Pell grant.

The scholarship is named for Congressman Benjamin Gilman of New York, who retired in 2002 after serving in the House of Representatives for 30 years.

“Study abroad is a special experience for every student who participates,” Gilman said in a statement. “Living and learning in a vastly different environment of another nation not only exposes our students to alternate views, but also adds an enriching social and cultural experience. It also provides our students with the opportunity to return home with a deeper understanding of their place in the world, encouraging them to be a contributor, rather than a spectator in the international community.”

Abuasba will spend about five months in Salzburg and then plans to transfer to a four-year college or university in the fall.

“This scholarship is extremely helpful,” Abuasba said. “I don’t think I could have afforded to go to Austria otherwise.”

He is the second Harper College student to receive the scholarship. Last year, Gilman Scholar Jennifer Fill studied abroad in Carlow, Ireland.

For more information about Harper’s study abroad programs, contact the International Studies and Programs office at studyabroad@harpercollege.edu or 847.925.6522.




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