In this episode, we sit down with Samantha Libreros and Zienab Fadul, two recipients of the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, a program that empowers students from diverse backgrounds to study and intern abroad. Our guests share their experience in Spain in 2023. They talk about what they learned in this intercultural experience and offer invaluable advice for future applicants.
Get ready to take notes and learn from their experiences as we dive into their application process. An insight tip: Have an authentic application, good time management and get your recommendations letters on time! Samantha and Zienab were mentored by Scott Palmer, one of the Gilman Scholarship advisors that UC Davis has on campus. You can also listen to Scott’s interview in our previous episode. Again, thank you, Scott!
Samantha and Zienab also describe the challenges they overcame, the ways studying abroad impacted their perspectives on the world, and the personal growth gained. Studying abroad can be fun, but it also moves you outside of your comfort zone. Samantha and Zienab remind us of the importance of embracing the challenge and navigating cultural differences.
Whether you’re considering applying for the Gilman Scholarship, another fellowship, or simply love stories of transformation through global experiences, this episode is packed with inspiration and practical tips
We recorded this episode in December, 2024. During that Quarter, Zienab graduated from UC Davis in those days. Congrats, Zay! The interviewer of this episode is Jeff Nagle. Kylea Lindelli participated in the intro and outro. Editing was done by Jannet Torres Espinoza.
Stay tuned! If you liked this episode, please share it with your friends and help others to make the world their classroom.

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