From researching transportation systems and studying efficient ways to improve the healthcare system to examining the psychology of art, a prestigious group of scholarship recipients is developing skills that will prepare them to enhance their fields globally.
Funded by the U.S. Department of State, the Gilman Scholarship is one of the most prestigious awards for undergraduates seeking to study or intern abroad. This year, UCF set a university record with 28 students selected for the 2024-25 academic year, a milestone that reflects the university’s growing global reach and commitment to high-impact learning experiences.
The list of honorees includes:
- Cameron Alexis, College of Business, Destination: Japan
- Stefy Batres, College of Health Professions and Sciences, Destination: Spain
- Kailynn Baumgardt, College of Health Professions and Sciences, Destination: Taiwan
- Ethan Bell, College of Medicine, Destination: Spain
- Sanaii Ceylan, College of Sciences, Destination: France
- Berline Civil, College of Medicine, Destination: Spain
- David Duarte, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Destination: Spain
- Madison Gaitan, College of Sciences, Destination: Spain
- Luis Garcia, College of Sciences, Destination: Spain
- Janai Harrell, College of Sciences, Destination: Turks and Caicos Islands
- Jannatul Hossain, College of Business, Destination: South Korea
- Adryana Irizarry, College of Business, Destination: Spain
- Ramlah Kahn, College of Medicine, Destination: Spain
- Murly Lajeune, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Destination: Spain
- Joseph Martinez, College of Sciences, Destination: Thailand
- Nicole Marulanda Silva, College of Sciences, Destination: South Korea
- Raphael Mascarenhas, College of Sciences, Destination: Latvia
- Carson Mueller, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Destination: Sweden
- Dieunise Pacius, College of Sciences, Destination: South Korea
- Katelyn Pantoja, College of Arts and Humanities, Destination: France
- Gabriel Rait, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Destination: Spain
- Sarah Ramsdell, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Destination: South Korea
- Nathalie Rodriguez, College of Sciences, Destination: Costa Rica
- Jackson Simoneau, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Destination: Spain
- Mallorie Simpson, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Destination: Spain
- Jayden Thompson, College of Business, Destination: Japan/South Korea
- Martina Tolosa, College of Business, Destination: Spain
- Lorena Vega, College of Business, Destination: Spain
The following Gilman Scholars represent a few of the recent honorees, with each one speaking to the power of learning internationally and the value of stepping into unfamiliar spaces with curiosity, purpose and a willingness to grow.
Cameron Alexis
Cameron Alexis is studying finance intending to work in international project management, through which he can help develop sustainable, adaptable and durable infrastructures. He’s particularly interested in construction and how physical structures are shaped by various factors such as policy. That interest took him to Tokyo and Seoul, South Korea, this past spring through a two-week business-focused study abroad program funded by the Gilman Scholarship.
In both cities, Alexis studied how public transportation, building design and urban spaces were built to serve their communities. He says the experience gave him a new understanding of how built environments reflect local values and how project managers can adapt their approaches to meet the needs of different populations.
“I started to see how intentional infrastructure design was and how different the planning looked from what I’d seen in the U.S.,” he says.
Alexis wants to work on infrastructure projects that serve people globally. He says he’s seen what happens when systems are fragile or shortsighted through his own experiences with housing instability, natural disasters and financial hardship. Alexis moved often while growing up and he says those shifts gave him a practical understanding of resilience and adaptability.
“You learn to find your footing quickly,” he says. “That translates directly into how I approach risk, change and uncertainty in a professional context.”
The Gilman Scholarship also allowed Alexis to engage firsthand with international professionals, observe sustainable design in dense urban spaces and think critically about how infrastructure shapes everyday life. He says those weeks abroad sharpened his vision and clarified his desire to work in global project management.
“You can’t understand what international collaboration demands until you’re in it,” Alexis says. “Now I know what [it] takes, and I know I’m ready for it.”
Stefy Batres
Stefy Batres is studying communication sciences and disorders with plans to become a pediatric speech-language pathologist. This summer, she’s headed to Barcelona to take a course on the psychology of art, exploring how it can function as expression, communication and therapy.
Batres says the course will allow her to think more critically about how creative tools might support children who struggle to speak, and how social norms and traditions shape the way we understand and treat communication challenges.
Batres says she’s interested in how therapy can be adapted to work better for kids who speak different languages. One of her career goals is to expand upon traditional therapy methods and to understand how clinicians in other countries approach language development. She’s particularly curious about how art therapy is used in speech-language pathology and how it can help kids express emotions, build confidence and connect in ways they might not be able to with words alone.
Batres brings a strong foundation to this work. She’s bilingual, has lived in Chile and Honduras, and knows what it means to adjust to new systems and expectations. That adaptability shows up in her academic work and in her consideration of what effective therapy looks like.
Ethan Bell
Biomedical sciences major Ethan Bell understands the urgency around providing medical care and developing research to enhance it. He’s worked ambulance shifts and volunteered in a trauma intensive care unit. This summer, the Burnett Honors Scholar is building on these experiences in Seville, Spain, as an intern at an emergency clinic. While in Spain, he will also be taking intensive Spanish courses, learning more about the language and culture. The trip will also allow him to learn about a different healthcare system, and ask questions about how language, trust and access shape treatment. “I saw [this study abroad experience] as a way to sharpen the skills I’ll need as a future physician,” says Bell, who’s interested in pediatrics.
At UCF, Bell splits his time between research, clinical work and service. He’s contributed to bionic limb development at UCF-based nonprofit Limbitless Solutions and led medical screenings for people in need through Hearts for Homeless. Bell says he’s drawn to medicine not just for its scientific demands, but for the composure, clarity, and care under pressure that he wants to provide. “I want to be the kind of doctor who can communicate across linguistic differences, and do it in real-time, under pressure,” he says. He sees his time in Spain as another step toward learning how to stay grounded in unfamiliar environments and how to connect with patients whose experiences differ from his own.
Berline Civil
For Berline Civil, the Gilman Scholarship provides an opportunity to think more expansively about the kind of physician she wants to be and the kind of healthcare systems she wants to help build. A biomedical sciences major, Berline is spending the summer in Barcelona examining Spain’s public health infrastructure. The Burnett Honors Scholar is particularly drawn to the country’s universal healthcare model and wants to see how it functions in daily life. Her interest in the field of medicine is mainly focused on ensuring that care is individually tailored and context-driven.
In Barcelona, Berline plans to dive into public health coursework while also observing how patients and providers navigate care on the ground. She says she’s curious about how communication styles and institutional design shape people’s experiences.
“To be a good doctor, you need more than clinical skills,” she says. “You need humility. You need to listen first.”
Berline’s journey into medicine started with nursing before she changed her major to align with a path to medical school. Through changes in her academic focus and personal journey as a first-generation college student, she realized her calling wasn’t just treating patients, but asking bigger questions about the healthcare system. By pursuing an M.D., she hopes to build a career focused on addressing challenges across the industry.
With this being Berline’s first experience traveling internationally alone, she says she’s excited for the ways the experience will challenge her to think and adapt in new ways. When she returns to UCF, she plans to launch a service project focused on mentoring other first-generation students through the study abroad process so they feel like global opportunities are within their reach.
Mallorie Simpson
Aerospace engineering major Mallorie Simpson pursued the Gilman Scholarship because she knew the program would provide her with an in-depth experience studying programming, a foundational skill that would make her a stronger candidate to work for companies like SpaceX and NASA. While in Barcelona this summer, the Burnett Honors Scholar is studying object-oriented programming and learning Python, a programming language.
Through the Gilman Scholarship, the sophomore and first-generation student is stepping into the global space early in her academic career. Simpson says she wants to develop multilingual skills because collaboration across countries is a norm in engineering.
With this trip being her first time leaving the country, Simpson says she’s excited to experience a completely new environment and see how software and systems are approached in Spain. She plans to capitalize on the learning opportunity by visiting Rovio, the game design company behind Angry Birds.
“Companies like these are reminders that there are so many directions you can go in with these skills,” Simpson says.
To prepare for the journey and coursework abroad, she’s used a similar approach to when she adapted to a challenging Calculus II course. She reviewed materials ahead of time, asked questions early and built a consistent study schedule. That steady, forward-thinking approach is part of what she says made her more excited to spend time abroad. Although there’s been an adjustment period, Simpson says the benefits of the experience are worth pushing herself.
“Being uncomfortable is temporary,” she says. “There’s too much to experience to let doubt take over.”
If you are interested in learning more about the international and national award programs that may be available to you, please contact opa@ucf.edu for assistance.
