Elizabethtown College Spanish and Business Administration student Caden Robinson ’23 was recently awarded the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship and the James G. Stemler Study Abroad Scholarship, both of which will help to fund his study abroad trip to Oaxaca, Mexico in the fall.

The U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad, providing them with skills critical to our national security and economic prosperity.

The James G. Stemler Study Abroad Scholarship is awarded to Alpha Lambda Delta members who are pursuing a credit-bearing study abroad program to enhance their academic studies. Alpha Lambda Delta is a national honor society that recognizes students’ academic success during their first year at a college or university, and they are committed to helping its members develop a more global view of the world. Twenty of these national scholarships are given each academic year.

Beginning on August 14, 2021, Robinson will be studying at the University of Oaxaca and at the Mesoamericano in Oaxaca, Mexico.

“I chose to study in Mexico so that I could visit and live in a culture that would allow me to pursue deeper relationships with Hispanics local to the Lancaster County area since many are from Mexico,” said Robinson. “I look forward to forming friendships with people that may live and think differently so that I can broaden my knowledge of the global culture that exists between us and Mexico.”

Robinson says Study Abroad and International Students Advisor Megan Bell played a huge role in helping him throughout all areas of the application process, from essay writing to helping him understand the acceptance process.

“Without her guidance, there is no way I would have been blessed enough to receive this funding for my education, and I owe her a great deal of my gratitude,” said Robinson.