CSUSB Students Awarded Scholarships to Study Abroad

Four students at Cal State San Bernardino are among the 860 undergraduate students from 332 colleges and universities from across the United States selected to receive the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. The scholarships are sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and awarded to students to study abroad during the summer 2015 term. Natalie Bonello, with dual majors in human development and psychology, will receive $4,000 to study in South Africa. John Michael Evelyn-Veere, an economics major with minors in communication and Asian Studies, will receive $3,000 to study in South Korea. Xochilth Hernandez, of Highland, is pursuing two bachelor’s degrees in business administration, one with a French business track, and one with a Spanish business track and a minor in Arabic; and Catherine Ou, of Crestline, is also earning two bachelor’s degrees in economics and mathematics. They each received $4,000 scholarships and will both study in Jordan. Bonello, of San Bernardino, is currently a junior at CSUSB and is the first in her family to attend college. She is a transfer student from Victor Valley College and hopes to become an elementary school teacher. “It has been challenging trying to find the funds for me to go to school,” said Bonello. “My family could never afford to help me pay for college. I’ve only been able to make it this far because of grants from federal and state financial aid. “Now, because of the Gilman Scholarship, I have the opportunity to study abroad. I feel very blessed and I couldn’t be more grateful,” she said. Bonello will take her “Race and Racism” sociology class in South Africa, where she will conduct research surveying a minimum of 10 South Africans about racial issues. There will also be opportunities for several volunteer projects. Evelyn-Veere will study at Dankook University in South Korea, where he will teach English for two weeks and study Asian civilizations and mobile technology and development for five weeks. He has participated in the CSUSB Forensics (Debate) Team, garnering the first place “Best Speaker” award at a national tournament in St. Louis, Missouri. He is a member of on-campus organizations such as the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and Golden Key International Honour Society. The Rancho Cucamonga resident has always been involved with his community, working extensively with the National Inclusion Project, which creates opportunities for inclusion of children with disabilities. “My passion for working with this organization was inspired by my brother Joshua’s disability,” said Evelyn-Veere. “He was born with Angelman syndrome, a rare genetic disorder. In fact, each Christmas break, I volunteer with this project in honor of my brother,” he said. The oldest of five children, Evelyn-Veere is the first in his family to graduate high school and attend college, and hopes to serve as a role model to his younger siblings. During the academic year 2013-2014, he studied abroad at the National Taiwan University in Taipei after receiving the Wang Family Scholarship, studying economics and Mandarin Chinese. After he returned from Taiwan, he served as global ambassador, promoting international education through the CSU International Program. In addition, Evelyn-Veere collaborated with the staff in the CSUSB Study Abroad department to host the first Study Abroad Expo on campus to promote summer and academic year programs with more than 500 participants at the expo. After returning from South Korea this summer, he will complete his studies at CSUSB and graduate in the fall. He plans to pursue a career in government with an emphasis in economics. Gilman scholars receive up to $5,000 to apply towards their study abroad or internship program costs. The program aims to diversify the students who study and intern abroad and the countries and regions where they go. Scholarship recipients have the opportunity to gain a better understanding of other cultures, countries, languages, and economies -- making them better prepared to assume leadership roles within government and the private sector. The program is administered by the Institute of International Education. For a full list of students who have been selected to receive Gilman Scholarships, including students’ home state, university and host country, visit its website at http://www.iie.org/Programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program and click on “Summer 2015 Awards Offered.”