UNH Today

The Benjamin A. Gillman International Scholarship will send UNH students to study in nine countries and five continents between this summer and the spring of 2026, as the university boasted 13 recipients during the recent spring cycle.

UNH students will study in Ireland, Greece, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Italy, Hungary, Spain, Kenya, and China thanks to the award. The Gilman scholarship provides awards to Pell grant-eligible students who are studying or interning abroad for credit.

Including nine students who accepted Gilman scholarships during last fall’s cycle, UNH had 22 recipients during the last academic year (In 2021, the U.S. State Department recognized UNH as a top producer of Gilman Scholars in the country as part of the 20th anniversary of the program).

This year’s recipients are Linden Burba ’28, Liliana Chirichella ’26, Travis Currier ’26, Makayla Demoraes ’26, Olivia Gauthier ’27, Sunny Harding ’27, Natalie Jada ’26, Lauren Mann ’28, Sarah Maria ’26, Amy Powers ’27, Bryana (Bree) Sanuth ’27, Juliana Sanzi ’27, and Jaimini Viles ’27.

Burba, a psychology and justice studies dual major from St. Louis, Missouri, will be participating in the UNH Hungary: Justice Studies and Humanities Program in Budapest, Hungary in spring 2026, where she will be enrolled in classes tied primarily to justice studies, she says. The scholarship will allow her the opportunity to enjoy “an incredible experience without a constant shadow from financial burden.”

“Receiving the Gilman scholarship means so much to me as I poured a lot of time, effort, and myself into the application,” she says. “I am most looking forward to traveling around Hungary as part of my class and the travel I will be able to do on long weekends and vacation.”

Chirichella, a biology major from Troy, New Hampshire, is participating in EcoQuest: Ecology in Action in New Zealand this summer as a result of the Gilman Scholarship. She is at the EcoQuest Centre for Indigeneity, Ecology, and Creativity, studying environmental policy and ecology and biogeography of New Zealand, “two classes that will take me a step closer to earning my degree,” she says.

As a Gilman recipient, Chirichella says she feels “uplifted and supported by both my country and UNH to achieve my goals and grow as a person as I travel and experience a new culture,” particularly one in an area that is ahead of the curve in terms of environmental protections.

“New Zealand relies heavily on their natural resources to support their economy, and as a direct result they are a step ahead in environmental protection practices and political frameworks that help shield critical habitats from pollution and destruction, not to mention the prevalence of indigenous Māori culture that fosters a kinship with the land,” Chirichella says. “I am definitely looking forward the most to learning what sustainability practices I can bring home to UNH to foster a better relationship between nature and my community as well as be a catalyst for change in my future career.”

Gauthier, a finance and information systems & business analytics (ISBA) major from Plymouth, New Hampshire, will be participating in the UNH Exchange Program in Madrid, Spain in spring 2026, where she will be taking business courses at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid.

The scholarship will enable Gauthier to become the first in her family to study abroad.

“I’m most looking forward to immersing myself in Spanish culture and traveling around Europe,” she says. “I’m also excited to meet new people and hopefully join a local running club to stay active and connect with the community.”

Harding, a community and environmental planning major from Sagamore Beach, Massachusetts (at the Cape Cod Canal), is participating in the UNH in Italy Program this fall, living in Ascoli Piceno, Italy, and taking classes focusing on Italian food history, the farm-to-table experience and food sustainability.

The location is an eye-catching one, as Harding notes that Ascoli Piceno was built during the Medieval period using slabs of travertine stone that were ruins from the Roman Empire, and the stone “reportedly glows in the moonlight,” she says.

“I’m really looking forward to being surrounded by Italian culture: the food, the language and sites,” Harding says. “I’m interested in livable communities and this experience will teach me how modern Italians have adapted in an ancient city.”

Jada, a nutrition: health and wellness major from Albany, New York, is participating in the UNH in Greece Program in Athens, Greece, this summer, where she’ll study at Hellenic American University, taking courses that explore Greek history, culture, and music.

“These courses will deepen my understanding of Greece’s influence on global civilization while fostering intercultural awareness,” she says. “Receiving the Gilman Scholarship means a lot to me and I am very grateful for the opportunity. It will allow me to gain international experience, develop a global perspective, and strengthen my academic and professional goals.”

Before departing for Greece, Jada said she was most looking forward to experiencing a new culture and fully immersing herself in the new environment. “Being in Greece, surrounded by great food, history, and culture is a once in a lifetime experience and I am so grateful I can do this through UNH,” she says.

Mann, a psychology major from Scituate, Massachusetts, will take part in the UNH in Italy program in spring 2026, where she will be studying in Ascoli Piceno, taking courses such as Elementary Italian and History of Food in Italy.

Mann’s great grandparents are from Italy, and she is excited to “immerse myself in the country to gain a deeper appreciation of where my family is from,” she says.

“I am very appreciative and thankful that I received the Gilman scholarship. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me to pursue studying abroad,” Mann says.

Maria, a zoology major from Concord, New Hampshire, will be participating in the School for Field Studies Endangered Species Conservation Program in Kimana, Kenya this fall. She will also get to visit Tanzania as part of the experience, which consists of visiting different sanctuaries and encountering animals like giraffes, elephants, lions, and more.

Maria is grateful for the Gilman opportunity, as it opened doors that might not otherwise have been accessible. “Receiving the Gilman scholarship means a lot to me as I am a first generation and low- income student,” she says. “The scholarship helps to take some of the financial stress off, so that I can enjoy the trip.”

Powers, a business administration major with a concentration in marketing (and a minor in recreation management with an emphasis in event planning) from Rochester, New Hampshire, will be studying at Regents University in London in spring of 2026. While in London she’ll be taking business and marketing courses in classes that focus on the music and live events industry, an area she is “very passionate about.”

Beyond academics, Powers participates in Irish dancing classes and intends to compete at the Irish National Championships in Killarney, Ireland in February, giving her opportunities to experience international journeys in pursuit of both academic and personal passions within the same year.

“Receiving the Gilman Scholarship means that I can turn my lifelong dream of studying abroad into reality,” she says. “The Gilman Scholarship is not only giving me the chance to study abroad, but also the resources to step outside my comfort zone and immerse myself in a new environment.”

Sanuth, a business administration major with a concentration in accounting and finance from Boscawen, New Hampshire, will be studying at Deree College, The American College of Greece in spring 2026. She intends to pursue the one-year MBA program through UNH upon finishing her undergraduate degree and views the Gilman scholarship as a “life-changing opportunity that I will remember forever.”

“Studying abroad will benefit me by strengthen my education, allowing personal growth, and giving me skills that are needed in future careers through experiences,” Sanuth says. “I've wanted to study abroad since being in high school and now I can pursue those dreams.”

She says she is most looking forward to the culture and “beautiful” scenery in Greece, as well as the chance to build connections with the people she meets and the chance to experience Greek Orthodox Easter.

Sanzi, a wildlife and conservation biology major with a minor in marine biology and forestry from Gloucester, Rhode Island, will be participating in EcoQuest in New Zealand in spring 2026. She will be studying environmental policy, wildlife habitats, ecology, and ecosystems management and will participate in a directed research project in the Field Centre located in Pokeno, New Zealand.

“Receiving the Gilman Scholarship means that I get the opportunity to pursue my passion of learning about wildlife and conservation in another country,” she says. “I am most looking forward to all the wildlife encounters, field experiences, and memories that I will be able to make while abroad.”

Viles, a mathematics major from Harrisville, New Hampshire, spent this summer at the Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica in Heredia, Costa Rica, where he studied Spanish, Latin American culture, and Latin American dance.

Viles says the scholarship allowed him to “fully engage” with the Gilman program, “academically, culturally, and socially, without the stress of financial strain.”  The experience wound up being valuable beyond just what he learned in his studies.

“Before the program, I was most excited about improving my Spanish speaking and listening skills. Looking back, what I value most are the relationships I built: Long conversations with my host mom and her son, late nights spent with my fellow study abroad students, and the lessons I absorbed from my professors,” Viles says.

Currier, a linguistics and world languages double major from Jefferson, New Hampshire, participated in the CIEE Summer Accelerated Chinese Language Program in Shanghai, China this summer.

Demoraes, a communication major from Cos Cob, Connecticut, will be studying in Madrid, Spain, this fall.

Interested in pursuing a Gilman scholarship? Learn more about this and other opportunities available through the Office of National Fellowships.